- Nigeria: Cocoa Beans Farming Has Prospect
Nigeria has thrown its weight behind the global efforts to turn cocoa beans farming into an economically-viable venture.
To this end, the country has joined the sustainable and traceable cocoa farming team. It participated with other cocoa producing nations at the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) Technical Committee meetings held in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.
Present at the meeting on “Sustainable and Traceable Cocoa” were Chairman, National Mirror Committee on Cocoa, Mr. Shamsideen Olusegun Aroyeun from the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN); Margaret Eshiett; Abdulkadir Jelani Abubakar, and Benjamin Grace all of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON); and Jayeloa Olayinka of CRIN.
According to Mrs. Eshiett, who led the Nigerian delegation to the meeting, ISO members have been instrumental in the development of the current draft ISO 34101 series of standards in sustainable and traceable cocoa beans.
She stated that the draft ISO 34101 series of standards was aimed at specifying requirements for a management system for the farming of cocoa beans, making production more sustainable.
The SON Lead Delegate added that the draft standard features a dynamic farm development plan, using a stepwise approach to improve the economic, social and environmental impact in the coca value chain.
The series, according to her, will help support the professionalism of cocoa farming around the world and support cocoa farmers to produce sustainably.
She further stated that when work is completed on the standards, the use of the ISO 13401 series of standards will have valuable impact on the livelihoods of cocoa farmers and their families. She said it will help them transform their farms into economically viable businesses.
