[Part Two] Are we all complicit?: “The complexities of complicity” - Are Cocoa Farmers Unknowingly financing their own oppression
A focus on Smallholder Cocoa Farmers unconscious complicity and those of the complicities of Financial-interest actors in Ghana.
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In the Part one of our Series of the Complexities of complicities in the continuous deteriorating livelihoods of smallholder cocoa farmer, we discussed the historical context and present realities, Ghana Cocoa Board and broader stakeholders producer countries’ complicities. This Part two will focus on Smallholder Farmers unconscious complicity and those of the finance actors with a focus in actors in Ghana.
Smallholder Farmers’ Unconscious Complicity
The very individuals most adversely affected by the system—smallholder cocoa farmers—can sometimes, unwittingly, become complicit in perpetuating the cycle of hardships they endure. This paradoxical reality unfolds within the day-to-day decisions and interactions that bind these farmers to a global industry, eager to present a facade of benevolence while engaging in practices that undercut the farmers' long-term wellbeing.
The complex relationship between chocolatiers, sustainability programmes, and smallholder farmers in Ghana provides a vivid illustration of this dynamic. Farmers, in their quest for improved yields and livelihoods, often welcome the support offered by these entities, in the form of agricultural inputs, training, and so-called "sustainability" initiatives. However, what remains obscured beneath this veneer of support is a transaction that costs the farmer far more than it appears.
For instance, when a major chocolatier provides farming tools or education, the narrative often spun is one of generosity and partnership. Yet, seldom is it disclosed that these inputs are not gifts but are financed through the very proceeds of the farmers' labour—proceeds that, in a fair system, would have directly benefited them. The transaction, therefore, becomes less an act of corporate benevolence and more a sophisticated strategy to maintain a status quo that favours the industry's profitability over the farmers' autonomy and prosperity.
An example is the liberalisation of the cocoa market in Ghana, which now allows for international chocolatiers to further expand upstream to operate license buying companies that act as intermediaries for Cocobod. This arrangement, while legal, raises ethical questions about the true cost of doing business in the cocoa sector. The commissions earned by these buying companies from Cocobod—effectively a deduction from the farmers' earnings—are then cycled back into the community in the form of the aforementioned "gifts." This cycle, while creating a facade of investment in community welfare, cleverly masks a deeper exploitation of the farmers' economic vulnerabilities.
Another striking example is the commencement of large commercial cocoa farming in Indonesia by Mondelez and Olam. What was often overlooked is that through their Cocoa Life initiative in Ghana and Ivory Coast,
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