Cocoa Sector in Liberia

The Liberian government, together with the private sector, civil society, research organizations and farmers’ organizations active in the Liberian cocoa sector agreed to collaborate through the Roadmap to a Sustainable Cocoa Sector in Liberia (2021- 2026). In this framework for actions, the signatories commit to working together, pre-competitively, both technically and financially to develop an economically viable, inclusive, deforestation-free and sustainable cocoa sector.

 

The agricultural sector in Liberia is the primary livelihood for more than 60% of Liberia’s population. Cocoa is among the main cash crops and foreign exchange earners besides rubber, oil palm, and timber. Although significant number of smallholder farmers in Liberia are engaged in cocoa production, Liberia is overall still a small cocoa producing country, with an annual production of approximately 20,000 metric tons of cocoa beans. Low average yields of 200 kg/ha, which is almost a third of what is produced in neighboring countries.

 

The main constraints recorded to be affecting Liberia’s cocoa sector include:

  • Lack of proper input

  • Lack of price transparency

  • Aging cocoa tree stock

  • Lack of financing for planting new farms

  • Insufficient implementation of regulations and sector oversight

In 2017, the Liberian government prioritized the development of the cocoa sector under the Liberia Agriculture Transformation Agenda (LATA). As part of Pillar Two of its Pro-Poor Agenda for Development and Prosperity (PADP), the Government of Liberia also committed to the development of the cocoa sector through the pursuit of innovative policy prescriptions targeting incentives, research and innovation, as well as investments in industry and marketing2. The European Union supported this by encouraging local and international organizations in Liberia to develop ideas for the commercial development of the cocoa sector.

 

One of these initiatives funded by the European Union is the Liberia Cocoa Sector Improvement Program (LICSIP) led by Solidaridad West Africa that aims to create a vibrant, competitive, and profitable cocoa economy in Liberia.

ROADMAP

To sustainably produce cocoa, improve its quality, promote Liberian cocoa, while protecting the environment, IDH, as coordinator of the secretariat of Liberia’s National Cocoa Sector’s Public Private Platform (NC3P) facilitated the process of developing a Roadmap to a Sustainable Cocoa Sector in Liberia. This Roadmap followed the signing of a Statement of Intent in September 2019 by Liberian stakeholders in the cocoa sector, in which they jointly shared the vision for “a sustainable and economically viable cocoa sector, that brands Liberia as a source of high quality, environmentally friendly and ethically produced cocoa beans & cocoa related products.”

The roadmap was finalized and validated in October 2021 with government, private sector, civil society organizations, farmers’ organizations and other important stakeholders agreeing to jointly work towards the following:

 

Investment & cocoa marketing by promoting and marketing Liberian cocoa, and the positioning and commercialization of Liberian origin cocoa on the international market.

The implementation of this Roadmap will be undertaken by all signatories through the National Cocoa Sector Public-Private Platform (NC3P) and will be coordinated by its secretariat. The Steering Committee oversees the overall implementation and develops the strategic direction of the partnership. Separate Technical Committees assist the Steering Committee in fulfilling their oversight responsibilities on specific technical matters which are beyond their scope or expertise.

Environment & Climate Change by conserving natural ecosystems that could become at risk from the revitalization of the cocoa sector and the expansion of cocoa farming among other factors.