September 5, 2007 (GNA) – The question of the worst form of child Labor must be clearly distinguished from child work and apprenticeship, which is part of the African culture, Mr. Sona Ebai, Secretary General of the Cocoa Producers' Alliance (COPAL), said in Accra yesterday.

Presenting a paper on the overview of the world cocoa economy at the Ministerial meeting preceding the 2nd African Cocoa Summit in Accra, he said what constituted the worst form child Labor should be determined together by member countries, governments, private sector and civil society.

He said they must agree on the list of activities, the minimum age and the work the child did.
Mr. Ebai noted that Convention 182 of the International Labor Organization (ILO) dealing with the worst form of child Labor had been ratified by all member countries of COPAL following a Council resolution adopted in Brazil in 2000.

Some 14 million people are engaged in cocoa production worldwide, but 90 per cent of the world cocoa is grown on small family farms of two hectares or less.

Mr. Ebai said the last 10 years witnessed a fall in world cocoa prices, which resulted in cocoa farmers not being able to meet their own needs or pay their workers adequately.

The Abuja Declaration on a sustainable cocoa economy for Africa resolved to encourage the promotion and consumption of cocoa in Africa, which Mr. Ebai said, was the most pragmatic way of reversing the long-term decline in real cocoa prices.

He said measures adopted to increase domestic consumption included development of cocoa consumption habits, sensitization of the citizenry on the nutrition and health values of cocoa products, research and development.

Africa, Mr. Ebai said, would continue to play a leading role in the world cocoa economy in the medium to long term.

The leadership, he said, would present opportunities such as remunerative prices through policies and instruments and development of the downstream sector for value addition and promotion of consumption.

Mr Ebai added that such leadership required responsibilities such as modernization of the production process, ensuring quality and creation of awareness on the virtues of cocoa worldwide.

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