Cameroon plans to facilitate the direct marketing of cocoa beans through short supply chains. This sales approach, which reduces the number of intermediaries between the producer and the final buyer, could directly benefit producers. Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, the Minister of Trade, stated on October 17 in Yaoundé during a meeting with the National Association of Cocoa and Coffee Producers that the goal is to allow cooperatives to sell their beans directly to manufacturers.
At the meeting, the minister also announced that discussions have already begun with chocolatiers, some of whom are expected to visit Cameroon soon. These chocolatiers, including major industry brands, want to assess the quality of Cameroonian cocoa before engaging with local cooperatives.
Cameroon’s decision to adopt short supply chain marketing is driven by the belief that this model will help producers increase their income. Although this sales method is not new to the country, some cooperatives are already benefiting from it.
One example is the Nkog-Ekogo cooperative in the Centre region, which has been collaborating for several years with Domori, a renowned Italian chocolatier. The minister met with Giuseppina Piccigallo, the president of Domori, earlier last week. Their discussion revealed that Domori values the quality of Cameroonian cocoa and aims to increase its local bean supply. For Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, this demonstrates that major chocolatiers can indeed collaborate directly with Cameroonian cooperatives.
Michel Ange Nga
