Ghana and Ivory Coast go hard on Hershey
Cocoa superpowers Ghana and Ivory Coast have canceled all cocoa sustainability schemes run by Pennsylvania chocolate manufacturing giant Hershey within their jurisdictions, according to reports by Reuters News Agency. The chocolate producer is accused of alleged attempts at avoiding payment of the Living Income Differential (LID), a $400 per tonne poverty alleviation fee imposed on cocoa in 2019 by Ghana and Ivory Coast, which is paid directly to millions of poverty-stricken cocoa farmers.
“In a letter addressed to Hershey, the Ivorian and Ghanaian cocoa regulators accuse Hershey of sourcing unusually large volumes of physical cocoa on the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) in order to avoid the premium, known as a living income differential,” the Reuters report said. ICE is an American Fortune 500 company formed in 2000 that operates global exchanges, clearing- houses and provides mortgage technology, data, and listing services.
Verified as authentic by officials of the Ghanaian and Ivorian cocoa regulators, the letter also accused Fuji Oil Holdings’ Blommer subsidiary of aiding Hershey. In cracking the whip on Hershey’s attempt to undermine the LID policy, Ivory Coast and Ghana, which produce two-thirds of the world’s cocoa, said they are also barring third-party companies from running sustainability schemes in the West African nations on behalf of Hershey. The schemes certify cocoa as sustainably sourced, allowing companies to market their chocolate as ethical and charge a premium for it.
Ghana and Ivory Coast have taken the position that, although sustainability schemes may be targeted at poverty alleviation in cocoa communities, they are limited in coverage as not all cocoa farmers benefit. However, the LID which is applied to the farm gate price of cocoa reaches all cocoa farmers in Ghana and Ivory Coast. The cocoa superpowers paid the LID from the sale of their products to their farmers in a historic first, where in Ghana, the cocoa producer price saw a record 28% hike from GHS515 per 64kg bag to GHS660.
Hershey said it was committed to paying the LID, and that the majority of cocoa it bought would continue to come from West Africa and would include the LID for the 2020-21 crop and beyond. However, several market sources said Hershey had struck a deal with the ICE exchange to take delivery of a large amount of cocoa, allowing it to buy less from Ivory Coast and Ghana to avoid the premium.
As a result, Ivory Coast and Ghana have withdrawn their membership in the Cocoa Merchants Association of America (CMAA), accusing the body of helping US chocolate companies avoid paying a cocoa premium aimed at tackling farmer poverty, Reuters reported. The two cocoa producing giants accused the CMAA of “condoning and conniving with American companies against poor West African cocoa farmers” by avoiding the premium. Meanwhile, they are also reviewing their membership in the Federation of Cocoa Commerce (FCC), a United Kingdom-based international organization that aims to promote, protect and regulate the cocoa trade. (Source: Reuters/Diaspora Network News)
Jamaica to overhaul cannabis regulations
Dr. Machel A. Emanuel in a greenhouse at the Uni- versity of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica
KINGSTON, Jamaica – The government of Jamaica is working towards overhauling the interim regulations governing the cannabis industry. State Minister for Industry, Investment & Commerce Dr. Norman Dunn said the measures enacted in 2015 are no longer appropriate for the fast-growing industry.
“They require a complete rework, and we are now set at the Ministry to work assiduously to change this. If we don’t change it and everywhere opens up apart from us, we are going to be completely left behind,” he said. “We will not be able to compete adequately in this multimil- lion-dollar global industry.”
Dunn, who was speaking at a webinar, “Candid Conversations on Cannabis: Jamaica’s Place in the Multibillion-Dollar Growth Industry,” hosted by the Jamaica National Agency for Accreditation (JANAAC), said that when the regulations were enacted six years ago, they were appropriate at the time, as the government had to move cautiously in how it rolled out the new industry. He said that JANAAC has a critical role to play by giving the stamp of approval to the country’s world-class farms and manufacturing facilities.
“Your assessment and validation will enhance the ability of the products from Jamaica… to compete worldwide,” said Dunn. Noting further that “opening up the industry in a very controlled and scientific manner will eventually eliminate the illicit trade because persons will not seek to produce in substandard condition.”
Meanwhile, the chairman of the Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA), LeVaughn Flynn, said the Dangerous Drugs (Cannabis Import and Export Licensing) Regulations 2020 are now in the final stages before promulgation. Flynn said the CLA has been facilitating exports by licensees using these protocols, with 26 exports being processed since 2019. The CLA is an authority under the Ministry of Industry, Investment & Commerce that was established in 2015 under the Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Act with a specific role to establish and regulate Jamaica’s legal cannabis and hemp industry.
JANAAC CEO, Sharonmae Shirley, is encouraging stakeholders in the cannabis industry to seek accreditation of their products, as this is critical in removing technical barriers to trade. “If your company wants to demonstrate expertise in conducting scientific research and the development of medicinal cannabis products for clients in Jamaica and the rest of the world, accreditation is important to you because accreditation will attest to the competence of your team and the quality of the product.” (Source: Caribbean Today)
Cayman Islands starts genome sequencing of COVID-19 cases
GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands – The Cayman Islands has started the genome sequencing of local COVID- 19 cases making it the first in the region outside of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), to do so. Governor Martyn Roper said this puts the British territory into a different league, as no one else in the Caribbean is doing this.
“Other territories and countries are sending their samples to CARPHA, the regional body. But we’re able to do this on the island,” said Roper on a local talk show. “It’s only just come online, so we weren’t able quite to say this has been working, and it’s been working well. But we got ourselves into the right place.”
According to Roper, genome sequencing identifies the variants of concern and is key in the fight against COVID-19. “When we test people for being positive or negative using the PCR tests, this is a different type of test which enables you to break down the positive cases, and it will tell you whether it’s the Indian or Delta variant. It will tell you whether it’s the Kent UK variant, which is Alpha, and that’s really important because then, in terms of your COVID response, you know which variant you’ve got because some variants are more infectious than others.” The Delta variant, which originated in India, has also been found in 62 countries, and the cases in the UK are rising.
Roper said genome sequencing allows local health officials to get a lot more information to have the ability to deal with COVID. “Being able to do genome sequencing on the island is a major step forward, and we are effectively a regional health leader in this area,” he said. (Source: Caribbean Today)
Luxury housing in Southern Nigeria developed by Gambian businessman
Some of the townhouses and villas in RIVTAF Golf Estate
The RIVTAF Golf Estate is the largest luxury housing estate in the Southern region of Nigeria, built on 40 hectares of land. The luxury estate includes beautiful landscaping, water reticulation, sewage, and electrical systems. For those wondering about the funding source, it’s not China, not a European NGO or billionaire. It’s 100 % African funded and developed by Gambian businessman, Mustapha Njie, CEO of RIVTAF. This development is a great example of an inter-development initiative amongst African nations.
The RIVTAF Golf Estate in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria is one of the most successful developments in Nigeria. It is arguably unimaginable that a Gambian can walk through the heart of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria and leave such an indelible mark by implementing a masterpiece estate providing a live-work-play ambiance to 1,200 middle to high income families. In addition to a nine-hole golf course, the gated estate includes apartments, townhouses, and villas.
The development is a partnership between TAF Nigeria Homes Limited and the government of Rivers State, through a special purpose collaboration incorporated as RIVTAF Nigeria Limited. The government provided 39.82 hectares of land for the project in the Peter Odili area of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria, and TAF Nigeria Homes Limited provided the expertise and financing for the design, development, and management of the project.
Founded in 1990, TAF Africa Global Limited is a Pan-African real estate development company with a presence in eight African countries and dominance in Nigeria and The Gambia. (Source: AfroWorldNews)
