Colombia Seeks Accession to International Cocoa Organization

Strategic Insights -

Colombia's Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Rodolfo Zea Navarro, has filed a bill in Congress to join the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO), aiming to promote international cooperation, fairer prices, and sustainable practices in the cocoa industry. The accession is expected to benefit 52,000 cocoa families, with 95% being small producers, and support the country's agricultural sector growth pact. This move will facilitate dialogue between governments and the private sector on cocoa-related issues, strengthen national cocoa economies, and promote transparency in the global cocoa trade.

Key Takeaways:

  • The bill seeks to increase international cooperation and promote fairer prices for cocoa producers.
  • Colombia's accession to the ICCO will benefit 52,000 cocoa families, with 95% being small producers.
  • The move will support the country's agricultural sector growth pact and generate more employment and profitability.
  • Colombia's cocoa bean trade is crucial to the country's economy, with production and exports increasing by 31% and 296% respectively over the past nine years.
  • The country aims to increase the economy of cocoa cultivation by expanding trade and adhering to the ICCO.
  • Cocoa is a significant crop in Colombia, contributing significantly to the substitution of crops and stabilization of a formal economy.
  • In areas with public order problems, such as Tumaco, Arauca, and Catatumbo, cocoa is a valuable crop.
  • 60% of labor employed in cocoa cultivation is family-based, and farmers participate in tasks like harvesting (44%) and weed control (28%).

Statistics:

  • Colombia has seen a 31% increase in cocoa production and a 296% increase in exports over the past nine years.
  • In 2019, Colombia had 183,497 hectares of cocoa crops, with an estimated 31% increase to 189,000 hectares by 2020.
  • Cocoa production in Colombia between 2011 and 2019 increased by 61%, from 37,202 tons to 59,740 tons.
  • Between January and May 2020, Colombian cocoa exports totaled $46 million, representing a 14.2% increase from the same period in 2019.
  • Between January and May 2020, Colombian cocoa exports in volume totaled 13,426 tons, a 14.4% increase from the same period in 2019.

Sources:

  • Rodrigo Pérez-Brangulio; March 2020; "International Cocoa Organization’s 20th International Cocoa Organization Conference Opens in Abidjan"; Reuters News Article (Associated Press)
  • Contify; 2020; "Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Rodolfo Zea Navarro, files bill in Congress to join the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO)"
  • Contify; 2020; "Colombia Seeks Accession to the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO)"
  • Euclid Infotech Pvt. Ltd.