Nigerians need to eat more chocolate so as to improve conditions for cocoa farmers
Currently, only 2 percent of the Nigerian population eats chocolate; that figure needs to increase, Falusi believes. This would drive cocoa prices up, making the farmers less dependent on the international market,
Cocoa / chocolate was initially farmed to satisfy western food markets and tastes – Its is not an indigenous processed food and just possibly West Africans are not into chocolate / cocoa products? Still 2 million small farmers in West Africa depend on cocoa and other related products such as cocoa butter, for their livelihood yet they have no control over the price, distribution or production.
It is not only African cocoa farmers that continue to be exploited by Western food tastes and demands. Starbucks (see boycott Israeli products – BIG Campaign)
refuses to recognise Ethiopia’s trademarked coffee. Ethiopia has done this as a way of safe guarding local coffee producers and ensuring they receive fairer prices for their products.
