Cocoa in Peru: a fair trade sector supported by the Belgian Development Cooperation
The Federal Public Service for Foreign Affairs (or Ministry of Foreign Affairs) of Belgium declared that the growing demand by 70% for dark chocolate on the European market is benefiting a large number of small producers of quality cocoa beans in Peru. On this basis, the Trade for Development Center, created by the Belgian Ministry for Development Cooperation, decided to accompany some cocoa producers and support Peru to become a major supplier of quality cocoa.
Most of the industrialists who control the cocoa sector have announced their intention to produce cocoa by 2020 in a sustainable way, and this for two reasons:
• To combat child labor which is unfortunately very widespread in the sector (for example, 350,000 children work in plantations in the Ivory Coast);
• To contribute obtaining sufficient quality beans for their industry.
On this basis, the Trade for Development Center seized the opportunity to support the cocoa industry and meeting the interests of producers, industrialists and professionals of development cooperation. The chocolate industry is a considerable sector for the Belgian economy.
Sustainable and equitable certifications ensure traceability of the beans while allowing better compensation for producers at an acceptable cost: in fact, prices on the world market are for the moment above the fair trade prices, and should remain so for some time.
