What Ghanaian cocoa farmers want aid groups to do better

TWEAPEASE, Ghana — Beneficiaries in cocoa farming communities supported by the aid project Cocoa Life acknowledge the differences in their villages since the start of the program. Funded by chocolate maker Mondelez International and implemented by CARE International Ghana, the program has wired communities with electricity, improved access to financial services through community-based loan programs and trained women in bread and soapmaking. Though many can attest to improved living conditions and social standards in their areas, residents who participated in the program also have feedback for the implementing partners of future programs like these. Here is what participants said could be improved upon. Communicate clearly and often Some farmers told Devex that they would like clearer communication from project implementers and extension agents. Farmers in the village of Domi Beposo have complained of receiving only sporadic updates and contact from extension agents, recent visitors from the German Exposure and Dialogue Programme learned. They relayed the story to Devex. While some growers knew their cocoa beans should garner a premium price as fair trade products, growers weren’t sure how much more they could charge. Cocoa Life Program Manager Dr. Theo Nkansah said he now realizes that communication could have been clearer. The information about prices was meant to come through district-level unions of local farmers’ cooperatives. CARE supported the initial formation of cooperatives under the Cocoa Life program, but then left the farmers’ groups autonomous, he said. “There are things that I had communicated, and I had assumed had been understood by the communities, that I realize from the our [EDP] visitors’ feedback was not well-communicated,” he said. “It means that we need to get feedback from our beneficiaries to be sure they understand what we intend to communicate to them.” Communication is often a challenge for aid projects in rural areas, where a local language may be spoken. Translators can help convey the message. Nkansah said it is important to ask questions as an implementing partner and allow beneficiaries to ask questions as well. Think holistically Sustainability projects like Cocoa Life must holistically assess the situation of the communities they serve, participants said. Investments into improving family livelihoods must also address the social context, including water and sanitation issues, access to health services, and education, beneficiaries told Devex. For example, local teachers in the cocoa village of Tweapease, Ghana, struggle with a lack of phone connectivity, instructor Abi Tetteh told Devex. Several of Tetteh’s colleagues have submitted transfer papers to their school headmaster, seeking jobs in urban schools for next school year. Beneficiaries particularly appreciated innovations that their communities could use to help themselves, such as Cocoa Life’s help in building local community development committees. In Tweapease, the committee focused their weekly meeting on how to pay for a water tank. Purchasing a village water tank, farmers said, would reduce the amount of time spent fetching water and would allow villagers to have more productive days. CARE had not prioritized this request, but Nkansah told Devex that they were confident that the village would succeed in their goal to purchase one in the near future. Training alone may not be enough Skills training is often a key component in sustainable development programs, but sometimes it isn’t enough. An EDP participant who stayed overnight with farmers in the cocoa-producing community of Sekyere Krom in central Ghana told Devex they were told that growers there needed startup capital to act on the trainings they had received. After learning how to make soap and bread via the Cocoa Life project, many farmers were left without the financial means to start a small business. “Provisional startup support is part of the package,” said Nkansah, explaining that for those trained in bread baking and other confectioneries, CARE will be providing gas or mud ovens based on the choice of the farmers and cooking utensils in the coming weeks. Still, he said, due to budgetary constraints, CARE would no longer be able to provide the initial ingredients for their first unsupervised trials as originally planned. “I think providing materials on their own is a sign of commitment on their part,” he argued. “Some women in other cocoa communities have already taken loans from their local village savings and loans association to start production.” Editor’s note: The Exposure and Dialogue Programme facilitated Devex's travel and logistics for this reporting. However, Devex maintains full editorial control of the content. Read more international development news online, and subscribe to The Development Newswire to receive the latest from the world’s leading donors and decision-makers — emailed to you free every business day.