Cocoa is not only a delicious treat, but also a source of income, employment, and foreign exchange for millions of people in Ghana. However, the cocoa sector faces many challenges, such as aging farmers, low productivity, climate change, and limited value addition. To address these issues and ensure a sustainable future for cocoa, a new initiative has been launched to educate and empower the younger generation.
The Cocoa Club Ghana is a fun-based educational outreach program that aims to introduce basic school students to the history, benefits, and opportunities of cocoa. The project is spearheaded by the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG), a government institution that conducts research and development on cocoa and other crops.
The project was officially launched on December 23, 2023, at the CRIG Primary School in Tafo, Eastern Region. The launch was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the Ghana Cocoa Board, the Cocoa Processing Company, the International Cocoa Initiative, and other stakeholders.
According to the Deputy Director of CRIG and the Founder of the Cocoa Club, Michael Owusu-Manu, the project was conceived in early 2023 and tested with about 260 pupils from the CRIG Primary and Junior High Schools. The pupils were taken on educational tours to learn about the origin, cultivation, processing, and uses of cocoa. They also participated in activities such as quizzes, debates, drama, and art, to showcase their creativity and knowledge.
Owusu-Manu said the project aims to encourage the youth to connect with cocoa from bean to bar, to shape and develop their knowledge of cocoa and its related activities. He said the project also aims to introduce them to career opportunities in the cocoa sector, such as cocoa farming, research, processing, and entrepreneurship.
He said the project hopes to educate, inform, share knowledge, and promote the use and consumption of cocoa and cocoa products among the youth. He said the project will also help to build their leadership and managerial skills and inspire them to pursue scientific and innovative solutions to the problems facing the cocoa sector.
The Executive Director of CRIG, Dr. Francis Padi, also noted the importance of the Cocoa Club, saying it will help to preserve and enhance the cocoa sector, which is the backbone of the Ghanaian economy. He said the project will also help to create awareness and appreciation of the contribution of cocoa to the national development and the well-being of the people.
He said the project will be extended to other schools in the cocoa-growing regions and appealed for support from the government, the private sector, and the civil society. He also urged the pupils to take advantage of the opportunity and learn as much as they can about cocoa.
The launch of the Cocoa Club Ghana coincides with the celebration of the International Year of Plant Health, which aims to raise global awareness on how protecting plant health can help end hunger, reduce poverty, protect the environment, and boost economic development.
The Cocoa Club Ghana is one of the many initiatives that are being implemented to promote the cocoa sector in Ghana and beyond. Other initiatives include the Living Income Differential, which is a premium paid to cocoa farmers to improve their livelihoods, the Cocoa Forest Initiative, which is a partnership to end deforestation and restore forest areas, and the Cocoa360, which is a non-profit organization that provides free education and health care to cocoa-growing communities.
The Cocoa Club Ghana is expected to create a positive impact on the lives of the pupils, the cocoa farmers, and the entire nation. It is also expected to inspire other countries to adopt similar programs to nurture and empower their young minds and boost their cocoa sectors.
Source: BusinessGhana
