Ivory Coast and Ghana – the world’s top two cocoa producers – have withdrawn their membership of a U.S. cocoa industry association, accusing the body of aiding U.S. chocolate companies avoid paying a cocoa premium aimed at tackling farmer poverty.
A document signed by both nations cocoa regulators indicates that the Cocoa Merchants Association of America (CMAA) is “condoning and conniving with American companies against poor West African cocoa famers” by avoiding the premium.
The two cocoa behemoths are meanwhile revising their membership of the Federation of Cocoa Commerce (FCC), a UK-based international organization that aims to promote, protect and regulate the cocoa trade.