Cocoa is an important export crop for West African countries. Yet, many of the smallholder cocoa farmers struggle to earn a decent livelihood. Assata Doumbia, president of the ECAM cooperative in Côte d'Ivoire, applies a mix of strategies to obtain higher and more predictable incomes for her fellow farmers. The cooperative works with trusted international partners, invests in improving productivity and enables women to join the workforce. Assata even tackles the challenge of moving up the cocoa value chain through a cacao-processing business. In this podcast episode, she is joined by Kobby Bandoh, Economic Affairs Officer in the Agriculture and Commodities Division of the WTO. 

In the podcast:

- Assata Doumbia, President of the ECAM cooperative (Entreprise Coopérative des Agriculteurs de Méagui) and founder of "La Paysanne" 

- Kobby Bandoh, Economic Affairs Officer in the Agriculture and Commodities Division of the WTO

- Kimonique Powell, Podcast Host, WTO Young Professional

Links :

Website of the ECAM Cooperative (in French)

https://www.ecam-meagui.com/

Tony's Chocolonely, a Netherlands-based chocolate producer, and a major business partner of ECAM

https://tonyschocolonely.com/nl/en/strong-farmers-professional-cooperatives

The chapter on "Cacao" is co-authored by podcast host Kimonique Powell

Sustainable Production and Trade: Perspectives from the Commonwealth

A report about how voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) can enhance farmers' livelihoods, promote trade, and provide price transparency across value chains.

Global Market Report: Cocoa prices and sustainability | International Institute for Sustainable Development (iisd.org)

Reorganizing the cocoa farming business to enable farmers to obtain higher prices:

Cocoa Industry: Integrating Small Farmers into the Global Value Chain | UNCTAD

One example of a certification scheme that monitors social, economic, and environmental standards in the cocoa sector

Cocoa - (fairtrade.net)