In Italy, the consumer protection agency CODACONS, said the price of Easter eggs are up by at least 30 percent. In the Czech Republic, an analysis by price comparison firm Kupi said the cost of chocolate bunnies and eggs increased by as much as 20 percent.

One of the biggest reasons why shoppers have to spend more this Easter is climate change.

Frequent extreme weather events, such as reduced rainfall and high temperatures, have made cocoa plants more susceptible to pest and diseases like black pod and swollen shoot. All this impacts harvest, which has resulted in a decline in cocoa production, and that means higher costs.

In addition, decades of structural poverty and low incomes, as well as limited investment in cocoa farming means additional challenges. In these conditions it is difficult for farmers to fund  transitioning to sustainable agricultural practices that would further develop their businesses.

Fairtrade making a difference

That’s where Fairtrade International and its producer network Fairtrade Africa come in with the West Africa Cocoa Programme (WACP). The programme, which began in 2016, supports cocoa producers in West Africa, where 60 percent of the world’s cocoa is grown, to professionalise their business organisations and improve their knowledge and skills.

The results from the programme’s latest report are promising and demonstrate Fairtrade’s efforts when it comes to tackling some of the issues leading to lower supply and higher prices.

Training is making an impact

One of the focus areas of the WACP in Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire (CDI) is training to enhance the environmental and economic sustainability of cooperatives and their communities.

In 2024, Fairtrade reached 56 small producer organisations in Ghana and CDI. The WACP team conducted a total of 89 training of trainers, including 65 in CDI and 24 in Ghana.

The training not only included core Fairtrade certification support, where the Fairtrade Africa team provided one-on-one follow-up, but also covered good agricultural practices, such as climate friendly production techniques and reducing chemical use, Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence (HREDD), the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), African Regional Standards, as well as Village Savings and Loan Associations.

In addition, Fairtrade Africa provided training in financial management that included preparing campaign budgets, forecasting revenue and expenditures, and identifying deviations for adjustment - all challenges that cocoa farmer organisations need address when issues arise.

To ensure accountability of the training, all the participating small-scale producer organisations committed to sharing the training they received. In addition, Fairtrade Africa developed reporting tools to help track the training and report on the progress.

In total, the trainers reached 37,991 producers, 33,345 of them in CDI and 4,646 in Ghana. Cumulatively for 2024, training under the West Africa Cocoa Programme reached 51,891 participants compared to 48,876 in 2023, an about seven percent increase.

Supporting environmental projects

In Sierra Leone, Fairtrade funding supported the construction of metal solar drying booths for the Kasiyatama Cocoa Farmers Cooperative and the Salmed Cocoa/Coffee Farmers Cooperative. Most cocoa is harvested during the rainy season, which affects the moisture level and other quality parameters of the cocoa beans. Thanks to the use of the solar drying booths, the cooperatives can dry the beans more efficiently and reduce their environmental impact at the same time.

The WACP programme report also highlighted the success of the Yeyasso Cooperative in CDI, who noted the benefits their members experienced through Fairtrade certification. With Fairtrade investments, the cooperative developed an organic fertiliser production centre that makes fertiliser from compost. Now members are no longer dependent on costly industrial fertiliser that often caused the degradation of organic soil matter, soil acidification, and environmental pollution.  

For more information about Fairtrade’s impact in West Africa click here. And to contribute to making a difference for cocoa farmers, don’t forget to choose Fairtrade chocolate this Easter.