Cocoa – A guide to trade practices is often referred to as ITC’s Cocoa Guide. The most recent version, from 2001, is still in demand. The 180 page guide can be obtained from ITC’s e-shop.
The guide describes trade and industry practices, as well as regulations applying to cocoa. It traces customs procedures, systems and techniques used at each stage of the cocoa supply chain. It reviews trends in cocoa manufacturing and processing, cocoa organic farming, fair trade, sustainable production and environmental issues. It also provides a list of main sector-related trade and industry association and their websites.
The Cocoa Guide is available in English, French, Spanish and Russian.?Many users of the Cocoa Guide have shown interest in ITC’s more comprehensive Coffee Guide. It is continuously updated at www.thecoffeeguide.org - in English, French and Spanish. The Coffee Guide’s extensive information on, for example, sustainability schemes (labels), climate change and coffee, futures, hedging and risk management are also relevant for cocoa.
Women in the cocoa sector
In 2010, ITC gathered various information on the role of women in the cocoa sector . There are relatively fewer women engaged in the cocoa sector than in, for example, the coffee sector and the tea sector – not least because many tasks at field level are physically demanding. Research has been carried out on women’s role throughout the value chain (field, harvest, post-harvest, domestic trade, processing and export) and this has been compared in five countries: ?Brazil, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Ghana and Peru.
Also of relevance, in 2007-2008 ITC made a survey on the role of women in the coffee sector in coffee producing countries. 25 persons (mainly women) in 15 countries provided information on (i) employment, (ii) ownership and (iii) national associations and groups. The survey has been copied in several coffee magazines around the world and been used at international coffee conferences. From: ITC’s magazine, Trade Forum, 3&4, 2008.
The cocoa sector in Liberia
Information is available on request. Please contact us
to find out more.
Here are links to associations that can provide general data relating to cocoa, including labour statistics:
Ghana – COCOABOD – Ghana Cocoa Board, Accra
Brazil – CEPLAC – Comissao Executiva do Plano da Lavoura Cacaueira, Itabuna/Ilheus, BA
Perú – INEI – Instituto Nacional de Estadistica e Informatica
Indonesia – ASKINDO – Indonesia Cocoa Association
Malaysia – Malaysian Cocoa Board
Ecuador – ANECACAO - Asociación Nacional de Exportadores de Cacao
Information can also be obtained from a range of other organizations, including the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO),?
and the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO)
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