Fair trade actors in France and various organizations accuse the multinational chocolate companies of engaging in an "indecent showdown" with cocoa producers.

After the announcement by the Ivorian authorities of a sharp reduction in cocoa prices paid to growers, the group suspects the multinationals of having "preferred to slow down their cocoa purchases and dip into their stock, to put pressure" on prices.

"Behind the scenes, the multinationals have made the Ivorian government bend" which announced on Wednesday a 25% drop in the price of cocoa paid to producers, say in a press release the Commerce Equitable France collective and 27 other signatories including the Ivorian fair trade network. RICE, Artisans du Monde or the French Secours Populaire.
Thus, they call "for a massive outburst to denounce this intolerable situation" and demand "remunerative prices for producers".

“The price of cocoa is structurally too low for producers to get out of poverty,” Julie Stoll, general delegate of Commerce Equitable France, told AFP.