Jeroen Werf, ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands Embassy in Ghana, risks being rejected by the European market if it is found to be contaminated with heavy metals.
Ghana is the second largest producer in West Africa after the ivory coast, but illegal mining activities have hindered cocoa production, in addition to contamination of cocoa beans.
Speaking to the Ghanaian era in an exclusive interview on Thursday, Verhaul raised concerns about the impact of illegal mining, also known as “Galamsie” on cocoa production.
He has observed a downward trend in Ghana’s annual cocoa production in recent years due to the attractive offers made to cocoa farmers in exchange for farmland.
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He said that if farmers were offered a large amount of money to sell the farm to gold-dig prospectors, that means they cannot grow cocoa.
Verheul also pointed out that if the water in the roots is contaminated, heavy metals in the water can pass through the trees and enter the cocoa beans.
This could lead to rejection from the European market, Verheul said.
“You can see that in the numbers. Looking at the cocoa production in Ghana, it’s been declining very dramatically over the past few years,” Verheul said.
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The Netherlands imports approximately 300,000 tonnes of cocoa from Ghana every year.
These trade figures are declining, and this is a direct economic threat, Verheul added.
“For us, Garamsie is not a good thing and we are very concerned about it.”
When asked by Ghana if there was any reason for the Netherlands to reject cocoa beans, he said “still.”
While illegal mining activities pose serious health risks to Ghanaians through pollution of waters, Verheul has expressed optimism by the current administration in a concrete plan to tackle the threat of Garamsie.
Currently, around 25% of cocoa’s world production passes through the port of Amsterdam, the world’s largest cocoa trading port.
The Kingdom of the Netherlands is one of Ghana’s prominent trading partners.
Agriculture is the focus of trade with Ghana, and already through Ghana’s embassy, the Dutch government has embarked on several projects in the sector.
One such initiative is Adentan Community Garden, a model garden developed in collaboration with Dutch companies.
This model is intended to encourage entrepreneurs to challenge horticultural development.
Inhabitants are also inspired by this model to plant vegetables and other plants in their backyards using good agricultural practices, soil and inputs.
