APA-Yamoussoukro (Côte d'Ivoire) Cocoa producers in Côte d'Ivoire, who accuse industrialists of "circumventing" the Decent Income Differential (DRD) aimed at increasing farmers' earnings, are threatening to "boycott" their sustainability and certification program.

This decision was taken on Thursday at the town hall of Yamoussoukro, following an explanation session of the Decent Income Differential (DRD) mechanism by the Coffee-Cocoa Council, the sector's regulatory body.

According to the president of the Coffee-Cocoa Council, Yves Brahima Koné, there are industrialists, chocolate makers and traders who have "started to play a game" and use "strategies" to avoid paying the Living Income Differential.

The producers "urgently" invite manufacturers, chocolate makers and traders "to respect their commitment to pay the DRD", declared their spokesperson Dinard Yao N'Zi who read the final communiqué of the session.

During this session "we talked about the boycott of the sustainability program of exporters in case they fail to apply the payment of the DRD", Mr. Dinard Yao told APA, on the sidelines of the meeting.

“We reserve the right to boycott all their actions in the field, going so far as to prohibit certain exporters from operating,” he continued.

Then, he will launch, "we are suspending our collaboration around sustainability and certification programs with manufacturers, chocolate makers and traders who oppose the payment of the DRD".

For the apexes of the cocoa sector "the Decent Income Differential affects 100% of Ivorian and Ghanaian producers, unlike the sustainability and certification program" to which manufacturers cling.

"Today, the salvation of cocoa producers lies in the application of the Decent Income Differential which allows them to earn 400 dollars on each ton of cocoa sold", maintained Mr. Dinard Yao.

This measure comes, above all, after a "reluctance of certain chocolate makers, industrialists and traders to implement the Decent Income Differential", supported by Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, two neighboring countries which together account for more than 60% of the world cocoa production.

They further believe that the lowest paid in the global cocoa supply chain are the producers. And, out of the $100 billion generated by the sector, only 6% goes to producers. Worse, a cocoa farmer today lives on $0.78 a day.

Four umbrella organizations took part in this decision, in particular the FOPCC (Federation of organizations of coffee and cocoa producers) and ANACACI (National Association of Agricultural Cooperatives of Côte d'Ivoire).

The Association of Western Agricultural Producers and Professional Organizations (APROPAM) and the National Federation of Women Coffee-Cocoa Producers (FNFPCC) also took part in the session.

All these organizations in the cocoa sector in Côte d'Ivoire, the world's largest producer with nearly 2 million tonnes, are calling for "the establishment in the coming weeks of a DRD Monitoring Committee for Ivorian and Ghanaian producers".