Ecookim

ECOOKIM: COCOA PRODUCER IN IVORY COAST

Ecookim a été fondée en 2004 et est un important maillon de la chaine de valeur du cacao de Côte d’Ivoire. Le nombre d’adhérents a augmenté et compte maintenant 23 cooperatives membres et 22570 producteurs situés dans 2 régions différentes.

L’activité principale d’ Ecookim consiste à acheter et à traiter le cacao brut venant des coopératives et à exporter les fèves de cacao. Présentement, ils sont les plus gros client de Shared Interest en Afrique de l’Ouest et l’un des groupes certifiés Commerce Equitable le plus performant de la région. Leur vision est de s’assurer que les cultivateurs de cacao recoivent une part plus importante de la chaine d’approvisionement du cacao en vendant directement sur le marché international du cacao.

Les coopératives sont situées dans des régions qui attirent un grand nombre d’immigrants venant des pays voisins comme le Mali, la Guinée, le Libéria et le Nigéria, à la recherche de meilleurs perspectives économiques. En général, ces régions ont un taux de chômage élevé et un niveau de soins de santé assez bas ainsi que des problèmes d’environnement comme le déforestation, la dégradation des sols et la pollution de l’eau.

Shared Interest and ECOOKIM

ECOOKIM have been a Shared Interest customer since 2014, receiving loans to pay members for their cocoa when they most need it, build warehouses, purchase vehicles and invest in education, health facilities, water and sanitation. Thanks to our support, ECOOKIM's trading volumes rose from 57,000 metric tons (MT) in 2021 to 66,000 MT in 2022. During 2023, ECOOKIM fell short of their forecast, due to low production and cocoa scarcity caused by adverse weather and irregular rainfall in Ivory Coast.

President at ECOOKIM Ouattara Adama Aboulaye told us:

“The finance from Shared Interest has been utilised to support investment in diversification projects, farm maintenance and certification. The Fairtrade Premium is used for members Living Income Differential.”

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Adapting to Climate Change and EUDR

Speaking about the impacts of climate change, Ouattara said:

“The adverse weather conditions, including irregular rainfall patterns, droughts and extreme weather events, have had an impact on production. Pests and diseases could further destroy plantations, forcing farmers to cut the trees contributing to low yields and quality of cocoa.
"To mitigate these impacts, we are implementing technical assistance for 22 of our co-operatives on reforestation and agroforestry, therefore mitigating the risk on poor yields and quality.”

During our recent Producer Committee meeting in Abidjan, our team spoke to ECOOKIM about the progress of producers in their preparation for EUDR implementation, to ensure a successful transition to a sustainable, deforestation-free cocoa value chain.

Ouattara continued:

“To date we have implemented a tracking system to trace products from their origin to export. We have carried out an assessment of cocoa suppliers’ agricultural practices to ensure they meet EUDR requirements. We have developed and implemented internal policies to ensure sustainability and compliance.
"We have organised internal audits and regular inspections to ensure compliance of cocoa farms. We have centralised and organised compliance documents (audits, certificates, proof of traceability) and also carried out continuous training and awareness raising of producers on sustainable practices and EUDR requirements.”

ECOOKIM said that collaborating with their buyers to train and raise awareness among members about key requirements and traceability systems was crucial.

They confirmed they had completed geo-location mapping of 100% of their producers’ plots, which will ensure a traceable cocoa supply chain and assess deforestation risks, as required for the preparation of their due diligence reports.

Fairtrade and ECOOKIM

Fairtrade standards offer various provisions and benefits to ECOOKIM, including:

An additional Fairtrade Premium of $200 per tonne for investment in community, business and environmental projects.
An extra $300 per tonne for Fairtrade Certified organic cocoa beans.
Environmental standards to promote sound agricultural practices involving waste management, soil fertility, water use and more.
Prohibition of forced labour and child labour.

Here are some more examples of how Fairtrade Premium has supported ECOOKIM:

Two central warehouses were constructed, serving three co-operatives.
A truck was purchased by CAPEDIG co-operative for the collection and delivery of coffee beans.
Organic fertilisers were provided to increase the sustainability of cocoa production.
Disease control, pesticides, spraying equipment and personal protective equipment were provided.
Training programmes were developed to improve productivity and quality.
Educational programmes were developed to raise awareness of child labour issues.

Fairtrade represents the voices of two million small-scale farmers and workers. Learn more about how we support Fairtrade organisations here.

Bamba, la personne responsable du programme de développement durable d’Ecookim nous a dit:

‹‹Nous avons utilisé les primes du Commerce Equitable pour construire des écoles primaires afin que les enfants soient pris en charge pendant que les femmes travaillent.››

Rising Cocoa Prices: Unwrapping the Impact on the Chocolate Industry

Around 50 million people in the world depend on cocoa for their livelihoods. But despite the popularity of chocolate, it can be a volatile way of making a living.

The dependence of developing countries on raw commodities leaves them vulnerable to price volatility, with profits concentrated in countries where the commodity is imported and processed, rather than grown. It is often farmers in developing countries - those at the end of the value chain - who suffer.

This problem was highlighted in the cocoa sector in April 2024 when, Ivory Coast announced that its cocoa farmers will finally benefit from high market prices, receiving 50% more for the remainder of the season. However, with cocoa farmers unable to meet buyer demands due to low yields, for some, this news isn’t as sweet as it might seem.

Speaking about the impact of rising cocoa prices on ECOOKIM, Aminata said:

"The funds received by ECOOKIM make it possible to finance the co-operatives for the purchase of cocoa from member producers.

As a result, producers immediately receive the money when they send their cocoa. They can therefore resolve their problems or needs.

"The current increase in cocoa price is a positive move, we hope this will impact the farmers in the months to come.”

BETTER THE BALANCE, BETTER THE WORLD.

Un Meilleur équilibre pour un Monde Meilleur

Le cacao est vital pour les membres d’Ecookim, leur procurant 70% de leurs revenus mais plusieurs de leurs cacaoyers sont maintenant vieux et malades et ont besoin d’être remplacés. Le café est aussi cultivé pour sa valeur commerciale ainsi que le mais, le riz et lebanane pour la consommation familiale.

Ecookim procure une aide sociale à ses membres ce qui inclus:

Soutien aux groupes de femmes, en donnant accès à des projets générateurs de revenus alternatifs comme par exemple l’Association villageoise d'épargne et d'emprunt (VSLA).
Construction d’un bloc de 3 salles de classe pour une école primaire, réhabilitation de 10 écoles primaires et distribution de 3000 kits de matériel scolaire
Prêts pour frais d’inscription scolaire aux membres producteurs et employés
Distribution gratuite de moustiquaires empreignés aux membres producteurs

Campagne de lutte contre le travail des enfants
Sensibilisation et la prévention de la maladie due au virus Ebola
Construction d’entrepôts pour 2 coopératives membres
Construction de ponts
Aide sanitaire pour les producteurs et leur famille et lutte contre la déforestation
Formation environnementale sur la lutte contre les feux de brousse

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