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SITUATED IN COASTAL west Africa, Ghana is a country of fascinating contradictions.
It’s a socially and economically stable country, where Christian and Muslim mix easily, and where a Year of Return saw thousands of African-Americans returning as tourists.
At the same time, while stable, Ghana still has grinding poverty, especially in rural areas, where the standard of living is below the UN WHO poverty line.
The official minimum wage is $2 (€1.85) a day, but this is largely flouted.
Typical rural cocoa incomes are just under half what is considered a living income: while $329 (€303) a month is considered a living income for Ghana cocoa farmers , in reality they earn $191 (€175) a month. Female-headed households earn less again.
60% of the world’s cocoa comes from the west African nations of Cote d’Ívoire and Ghana, and in this old commodity industry, poverty, child labour, child trafficking and even slavery still occur.
There are however pathways out of poverty. Fairtrade Africa works with 260 cocoa producer organisations in West Africa. In Ghana, there are over 120,000 cocoa farmers in 10 Cooperative Unions across the country working with Fairtrade.
There are a number of successful environmental, child labour, gender, farming and other initiatives Fairtrade support in West Africa. But fundamentally, offering a minimum price and premium are the two core things that make a difference.
Fairtrade specifics – Minimum Price and Premium
The Fairtrade minimum price, currently of $2,400 (€2,210) a tonne, gives stability and certainly of income, which allows farmers to plan ahead. It’s also set considerably above the typical price for this commodity.
The premium – $240 (€221) a tonne, higher than that offered by any other similar scheme – is an extra payment made to the supplying coops, the use of which is controlled by these coops on the ground.
This is put into poverty alleviation and productivity measures: so that’s building schools, hospitals, drilling boreholes, as well as improving seeds, trees, farming practices, input storage and other agronomic actions.
In the first week in January, I visited Ghana for a week, to spend time with the Asunafo Cooperative.
This coop is based in a new region called Ahafo, created in December 2018, and has offices in the regional capital of Goaso. Asunafo coop has almost 8000 members, 45% female and 55% male. 67 communities are make up the Asunafo coop.
The first community visited was Duase, where we saw cocoa production from field to bean.
Women from the Duase Community walk to work in the cocoa fields. Left to Right Mary Yaa Afrah, Akua Serwaa Nico, Grace Nyanta.
Mary Nsiah, President of the Duase Community coop, chopping cocoa pods from the trees with a machete. Each pod contains 30-40 beans.
Men from the Duase community splitting the cocoa pods. Leftover yellow pods are used for making soap.
Once removed, the beans, still inside a jelly-like pulp, are fermented on banana leaves for several days.
Members of the Duase community with their drying cocoa beans. The beans are then cleaned and dried outdoors in two stages – above is stage two.
So once these beans are turned into Fairtrade chocolate bars, what use do these cooperatives put the premium earned to? Water, schools and hospitals are the big three.
Free-flowing water in the Asudai community, where a new borehole has been dug thanks to the Fairtrade premium.
The coops decide for themselves what to do with their premiums. Accessing safe water from mechanized boreholes is one of the most popular interventions made.
While the water load is heavy, having it in the centre of the Asudai village is better than walking 2-3 km to the next village, or taking water from potentially contaminated streams.
Leticia Kwao teaches in the new school in Asudai. Almost half of the 67 communities in the Asunafo coop have had schools built from the Fairtrade premium.
Peter Sule attends the local school (background) in Asudai. He intends to go to college afterwards and return as an agronomist to help with cocoa productivity.
In the Akrodie community, also part of the Asunafo coop, the hospital is being expanded. Currently there is only one wing, where children sometimes share beds. The building above will triple capacity and serve 50 villages.
Building schools was a recurring theme from the Fairtrade premium spending in Ghana. This is a classroom in the Duase community.
As well as social investments, there are also Asunafo also invest in improved farming practice. This can be to do with input storage, training, equipment and improved breeding. Below are some cocoa plants grown by the coop for members.
By having a guaranteed minimum price, and by having a premium to invest, Asunafo have managed to establish a mutual fund – or credit union – for members. This way, members can invest in diversification or productivity in the off season.
Michael Appiagyei Sarpong (Credit Union Manager)
Life is still tough in rural Ghana, and still short of a living income – something Fairtrade Africa and Fairtrade international are both focused on developing. But the women and men of the Asunafo coop put the Fairtrade premium to great use.
They know they are Fairtrade producers, and have improved life for themselves, on their own terms.
L to R. Rebecca Amaa Achiaa, Grace Nyanta, Mary Yaa Afrah, Akua Serwaa Nico Fairtrade cocoa producers of the Duase Community, part of the Asunafo cooperative.
All photos (c) Fairtrade and taken by Yaw Okyere Darko or Oliver Moore. Oliver Moore travelled to Ghana in January with Fairtrade. Fairtrade fortnight begins 24 February and runs for 2 weeks. For more see Fairtrade.ie
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Some Irish children who need surgery cant get it either…
As selfish as it may sound, look after your own first.
It is absolutely not the case that Irish children with life-threatening, treatable heart conditions don’t get the surgery they need.
I mean if you’re against Ireland assisting in this programme, then fair enough, but don’t try and claim the situation for children in the two countries is even remotely similar.
Exactly, Cal. “Our own” are looked after. If a child requires such life-saving heart surgery, he or she will get it.
Well said.
Eventually!
This story has nothing to do with Irish children though.
The article mentions volunteer Canadian & US surgeons.
Our own? As in human beings?
Are they still saying child illness is related to Chernobyl. That was 28 years ago.
Selfish is right.
being the parent of a child who has endured 3 open heart surgeries so far in his life, i know all about the cardiac services in this country and believe you mean we have some of the best surgeons in the world here but also huge waiting lists for our children here to have life saving operations ,the situation here in our own country is at crisis point and we need to start concentrating on that too, i also hope and pray that the chrildren over there get to have their life saving surgery soon too though
Ah Chernobyl. Russia’s gift to Ukraine and Belarus.
Soviet health and safety at its best
The Soviet era pioneered many medical procedures.
In fairness, their health system wasn’t bad at all. I found myself in hospital in St. Petersburg after injuries sustained to my shoulder. In, seen, X-rayed and out in less than 2 hours. Results the next day. Compare that with any western European country.
Ah Brian, something good to say about Russia? Your drinking? But seriously, it’s tragic tat because of US interference in Ukraine that these poor kids must suffer. Let’s hope the fascists in Kiev are soon kicked out and normal politics to resume. The US indifference to civilian suffering is mind boggling. Thousands of children killed and maimed in Iraq and Afghanistan that’s to US aggression.
Unlike your bigoted self, Nicole, I am able to divorce a political establishment from the common people. I used to live in Russia. I speak fluent Russian and can get by in Ukrainian. I have a lot of good things to say about Russia. Their public transport is excellent. Their health service is excellent. The people are friendly (the cold exterior is a perception westerners have because of cultural differences). The food is good and nightlife even better. It’s the complete lack of democracy that’s the problem. That and the fact that when you live there, you fear the police more than the criminals. Corruption is rife amongst the politicians and the police forces. And the fact that human rights protests are banned or attacked under the eyes of the police while neo-Nazi marches are allowed proceed unhindered is another aspect of Russia I’m not happy with. But then, you seem to like Russian Nazis and actually advocated an annexation plan that would have involved thousands of innocent lives lost and widespread ethnic cleansing.
Yeah you said all that before, we know you lived in Russia. So what? I was referring to the US hyprocacy. You think the extreme right is any better in the US? Russia is as democratic as the US and as for Russians, you look at the religious right in the US. Bigoted, homophobic, racist anti women, anti choice and of course they think the earth is 5000 years old. Don’t give me your pathetic anti Russian bull and deal with the reality of US imperialism. Social democrat my hole. Yanker
Nicole, I am on record on this very site for condemning the US on a multitude of topics. I despise their religious right element (to be honest, they sicken me to the core). I hate their foreign policy. I hate how only the rich seem to be able to dictate policy. The difference between you and me is that I actually possess the ability to criticise both sides. Not once have you criticised any aspect of Russia which leads me to believe you completely support them, including their persecution of the LGBT community and religious, ethnic and linguistic minorities. In other words, you support persecution and discrimination. What kind of person could support such things? You also support the gun over dialogue and negotiation. That, to me, is sick. I support equality and human rights for all. You only support it for those you deem worthy – and in this case it’s Russian Nazis and imperialists.
Jezz Brian you haven’t read all my previous posts. I despise the Russian government for its behaviour. The sucking up to the religious right and the homophobic laws are disgusting. The Russian government have benefit to arrest Trade Union leaders too. I do my best to annoy the US apologists and their hyprocacy. Kerry calling the protesters in Kiev “freedom fighters” and protesting when the Russians go the same thing. I have seen the extreme right in St Petersburg and in Riga and Hungry and making big gains in France. The Russians may be a lot of things and Putin is of the zz religious right but I can’t say that they are imperialist.
Nadeisa i dzdi
Nadeisa i dzdi
To be honest, Nicole, it must be the way we deliver our messages, because based on your last comment I can see we’re closer in opinion than either of us would have realised. As for the imperialists…well Putin, for all his flaws, is not one. That I believe. But take a look at Zhirinovsky, a very prominent Russian politician who told the Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians to get in their boats and start sailing and said that Russia should retake Alaska and transfer all Ukrainians there. That’s imperialism to me under any definition.
Yeah I agree. And that guy is nuts. Sounds like something Sarah Palin would say. Apologies if I said anything out of turn Brian but I thought you were like the others on here. My partner has family in Ukraine and is half Ukrainian. So I take great pleasure in annoying the US apologists in here!
No, I like to think for myself. I read pro-Western and anti-Western material simply because I know the truth always lies somewhere in between. I’ve been called both a leftie loonie and a rightwing nut, simply because my opinions don’t agree with the particular audience with whom I’m debating. I too apologise for anything I said to you out of turn. As for Ukraine, as far as I’m concerned the EU, US, and Russia equally have a lot to answer for. The leaders of each, including the IMF, couldn’t give a damn about the ordinary person on the street and are only interested in power and money. As a result, children, such as those affected by Chernobyl, are suffering. But Obama, Merkel, Cameron and Putin couldn’t give a toss.
We are on the same page then Brian. Appreciate you comments and you have summed it up very well. I too look at the various media, best thing is to watch RT news and Fox News and truth is somewhere on between!
If they want to save that child an irish hospital is the last place they should be sending it.
Do you know anything about paediatric cardiac surgery services in Ireland? Are you suggesting that they’re deficient in some way?
Ignorant and stupid comment there Ross!
Not to mention the fact that there is nothing about sending children to Irish hospitals mentioned in the article…
“Irish humanitarian aid agency Chernobyl Children International (CCI) has organised and funded the surgery programme for the past 10 years.”
“Teams of surgeons from the US and Canada travel to Ukraine and Belarus six times a year to operate on the children.”
Dexter I am merely commenting on the fact people are dying because ambulances are not reaching them on time and the amounts of cuts to the services, that is not being an armchair critic it’s fact. We have a dilapidated health service.
There are Irish children on there death beds waiting for operations and they can’t get looked after and we are supposed to fork out for another country’s medical crises.
We’re not “forking out” for it. It is a charity where volunteers give their time for free to help children in the Ukraine.
When was the last time you volunteered your time to any charity or NGO Elaine?
Apologies Trevor, took you up wrong!
Thanks dexter enjoy your evening
With all the recent hse controversy lately would they want our help or would they be better off over there.
Pity you weren’t over there Trevor. But you’d miss your armchair too much!!
Jaysus. You know things are bad in Ukraine when…
Shame on Putin.
Shame on the West….it’s their fault.
Sorry Eamon and Nicole, but it’s actually a shame on both sides. If both sides had adhered to the principal of respect for sovereignty then none of this would have happened.
True Brian, I can accept that
The Western PR campaign against Russia continues, the propaganda from the AFP and Reuters reports makes me want to puke – children are being used now.
Just like their excellently impartial Syrian reports – every photo of destruction and massacres are by the Syrian government.
Sean, this is about children and life saving operations.
It’s good that surgeons are volunteering to go over there.
So maybe you should shut the F up!
Send the bill to Vladimir Putin …
His personal wealth is estimated at over €40 billion !
How is a charity saying that the unstable situation means they can provide healthcare for terminally-ill children. No blame is placed on anyone. Well done Sean, even by the standards of the Journal you hit a new high in anti-West nonsense and even managed to show some support for Assad.
Who estimated that Judy?? The Ukrainian fascists or the warmongering US?
Dead right Sean
Nicole, I’m starting to believe that your vocabulary is limited to the words “fascist” and “warmongering”.
What about the Irish children who have no access to services here in Ireland?
Won’t somebody please think of the (non-existent) children!
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