Africa will be angry about Ghana
Yesterday (02.07.2025) I discussed with my young international students the new initiative of Ghana’s NDC President John Dramani Mahama to bring on 200,000 new hectares of cocoa farming, resulting in an additional 400,000 tons of cocoa beans in the next 5–7 years. Ghana currently exports annually between 600,000 and 800,000 tons of cocoa beans, being the second-largest world exporter of cocoa behind the Ivory Coast.
800,000 Ghanaian cocoa farmers get their pocket money from this business as cocoa farming does not bring good income due to the fact, that cocoa beans are subject to speculations and money is made with trading, manufacturing, and selling of cocoa beans and chocolate products. The entire value chain is in the hands of the white man, more precisely under the control of six major white companies managing the market as a cartel against cocoa-producing countries.
I asked my students what they think of this initiative, what problems are involved, and what could be a solution. They in a chorus answered: „Mr Heerde, it is not only that if this initiative will get off to full projected capacity not only the cocoa farmers of Ghana will suffer from the overproduction on the international market resulting in reduced prices for them all lower than today possibly, but it affects all African cocoa bean farmers in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Nigeria, Cameroon and Ivory Coast possibly also. International buyers will use the overcapacity created by Ghana to play dirty games with these other African countries blackmailing them with the argument if they do not reduce their prices they will buy from Ghana, easily what they need. The pressure will be on the governments of these other African countries. And surely they will fight Ghana for what Ghana had done to them. Unlike a car, a tablet, a table, etc. cocoa beans are food items and must be sold in a certain time frame not to get wasted. They cannot be stored away in a storehouse for sunnier days to come. Time is always on the neck of a farmer, Ghana should not forget about that. The white buyers know about it and will clap with their hands, sitting back and watching history unfolding in their favour. No one should be so naive to think these buyers and cocoa processing companies will lower their prices of chocolate for the consumers when more and cheaper cocoa is on the international market. They have raised consumers like you and me to a certain kind of chocolate price we got used to and certainly are not willing to change their mind in a long-term strategy, only short-term promotion marketing campaigns which do not help the consumers but rather make them want to buy and buy. No, the only way out is that Africa produces more chocolate itself and by the right marketing creates a market in the world of the white man for themselves under their control and initiative, not allowing the white people to lead them. Due to trade and marketing barriers and the understanding of the targeted markets these countries must cooperate with white people of their trust to sideline the aggression of the exciting chocolate manufacturer that would oppose the new move and bribe not only African leaders but will use dirty tricks to discredit them and their chocolate. Wise manoeuvring around this issue until consumers are addicted to their products and demanding more and more can bring African nations out of the woods and control the market in the open.“
“Maybe this can be a way of true African unity!” I commented.
My students had the last say: “I hope President Mahama is aware of this most likely scenario and knows how to address the opposition of the other African countries.”
I am profoundly proud of my international students who have never been in business or politics, but thinking logically brings out the best in them. They will reach far in life.
– Karl-Heinz Heerde