I read in Spanish a news that surprised me, I translate and share to see what they think.
The two African countries, the largest exporters of cocoa worldwide, have announced that they will not market this raw material next year after not reaching a minimum price agreement with the companies in the sector.
Ghana and Ivory Coast, the world's largest cocoa producers, threaten to leave markets around the world without chocolate. Both countries account for 60% of the world production of this raw material and have joined together to demand from the industry an increase in the price of a ton of cocoa to a minimum of 2,300 euros. This increase would allow, according to non-governmental organizations and affected countries, to improve the living standards of small producers in the area.
This price would be about 10% more than what Acra and Yamasucro receive per ton today. Representatives of both countries and the main companies in the sector met last June without reaching an agreement on the minimum price of the product. The export stop is still called for 2020.
The measure "can make many families out of the poverty they are in right now and could help eliminate child exploitation" in the area, explained to Antena 3 the head of Fair Trade of Intermón Oxfam, Paco Juan. According to their testimony, minors work in this industry to collaborate in the family economy and receive salaries even lower than those of adult workers.
In his opinion, the rise raised by the Government of Ghana and Ivory Coast is "acceptable" for companies in the sector, which moves around 100,000 million dollars a year. "We would not understand that we were told that this will prevent them from marketing their product normally," he said. Companies or consumers would be the ones who would assume the increase in the price of the raw material.
Original source in Spanish at https://www.antena3.com/noticias/mundo/ghana-y-costa-de-marfil-amenazan-con-dejar-sin-chocolate-al-mundo_201907105d262ada0cf2ed10d61a2f9c.html
It has a linked video that complements the information, I recommend visiting it.
I am interested in the subject because Venezuela is also a cocoa exporting country, I think I remember reading elsewhere that it is the best in the world, but if there is a fall in the world chocolate industry that would affect us negatively ... or maybe it benefits us that others do not sell and our cocoa is sold at higher prices ... we'll see.