An investigation carried out by an Ivorian NGO revealed this Monday, April 22, that cocoa beans exported by Côte d’Ivoire come from deforested lands in neighboring Liberia. A few months before the entry into force of a new regulation combating deforestation imported into the European Union, this survey carried out by the NGO IDEF (Initiatives for community development and forest conservation) highlights the importance control systems for exported products.
2 mins
with our correspondent in Abidjan, Bineta Diagne
Since 2018, there has been “ a phenomenon of exodus of cocoa producers from Ivory Coast to Liberia “. The investigators were interested in three villages, in which the arrival of Ivorian planters caused “ new clearing of primary forests » we read in this study, which also includes photos of these sites.
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However, these areas lack roads. Therefore, ” cocoa produced in Liberia has already been sold in Ivory Coast on a regular basis for at least three cocoa seasons », Says the NGO IDEF.
There new European regulations prohibits all imports of cocoa from deforested areas after the end of 2020. In force since June, it will come into effect for cocoa exported in the fall of 2024. Also, a few months before the entry into force of the regulation the EU on deforestation, this survey presents Liberia as a country with “ high risk of deforestation “. Although transaction volumes and the scale of the phenomenon are not quantified, according to IDEF “ the facts observed (…) demonstrate the weakness, if not the absence, of a supply chain control mechanism “.
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This NGO encourages the Ivorian authorities to accelerate the establishment of the national traceability system and the distribution of producer cards.
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Another question: “ the question of the credibility of the mechanisms put in place by certification labels », notes IDEF. The solution ? Relying on an external observer to carry out field control, suggests this NGO to multinationals working in this area.