DEFORESTATION-FREE COCOA, TRACEABILITY AND MARKET INTELLIGENCE: NCCB AND NITIDÆ EXPLORE AVENUES FOR COLLABORATION

The General Manager of the National Cocoa and Coffee Board (NCCB), Mr. Michael NDOPING, accompanied by his collaborators, has received a delegation from French non-governmental organisation NITIDÆ, led by its Country Representative in Cameroon, Mr. Mathieu Gobin, alongside Mr. Charles Angebault, Project Manager for Agriculture and Markets.

The meeting provided an opportunity for the NITIDÆ delegation to present an overview of its ongoing initiatives in Cameroon, notably the CAPZED (Cacao Paysage Zéro Déforestation) project, which seeks to promote deforestation-free cocoa production while fostering the sustainable management of agricultural landscapes.

Discussions focused particularly on strengthening cocoa traceability in the context of the implementation of the European Union Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR), which sets new requirements for products entering the European market.

Another key area of discussion was NITIDÆ's proposed initiative to establish an Economic Information and Intelligence Service, aimed at addressing existing information gaps within the cocoa and coffee sectors. In this regard, the organisation explored potential areas of collaboration with the NCCB to strengthen and further enhance the Board's existing Market Information System.

Particular emphasis was placed on the production of market outlook reports, the analysis of market trends and dynamics, as well as monitoring the performance and behaviour of different producing origins on international markets.

The discussions underscored the importance of reliable market intelligence, effective traceability systems and sustainable production practices in strengthening the competitiveness and resilience of Cameroon's cocoa and coffee sectors, while better positioning them to respond to evolving international market requirements.