Cocoa – Showdown between African countries and the West: “we are no longer in the time of slavery”
Cocoa – Showdown between African countries and the West: “we are no longer in the time of slavery”. Ivory Coast and Ghana have issued an ultimatum for the big international firms to pay the bonuses they have promised to cocoa producers. For the president of the Ivorian-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Henri Doué Tai, the time has come for the African continent to take matters into its own hands.
“We are no longer in the time of slavery. Multinationals need to understand. Who says multinational, says European Union, says America. These are the economic circular arms. They don’t have to refuse. We should now understand things and take matters into our own hands. That we determine the price of our raw materials, ”he explained at the microphone of Sputnik.
The businessman also called for producers and African cocoa-producing countries to cut ties with companies in the event of non-compliance with their commitments and non-payment of premiums to farmers. “If the multinationals do not fulfill their commitments. You have to cut the umbilical cord. Economic ties must be severed. It is necessary to prohibit the purchase of cocoa, the export for European and American buyers”, indicated Doué.
In the event of a break in economic ties with Europe and the United States, he was confident. Doué Tai recalled that it was not just the West that ate chocolate. Many other countries are interested in buying cocoa, including Russia, China, countries in Asia, Latin America. “Europe and America do not have a monopoly on the Universe. It is up to our heads of state to reflect and redirect our affairs,” he told Sputnik. Note that Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Cameroon are the first, second and third largest cocoa producers in the world.
RELATED POSTS:
