26/01/2021 (Agence Europe) – The European Union will contribute €25 million to strengthening the economic, social and environmental sustainability of cocoa production in Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana and Cameroon, announced the European Commission on Tuesday 26 January. On the same day, the inaugural roundtable of ‘Cocoa Talks’ was held by videoconference. This is a multi-stakeholder dialogue aimed at advancing the sustainability of cocoa throughout the supply chain by collective actions and partnerships (see EUROPE 12566/16). Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana and Cameroon are, respectively, the first, second and fifth largest cocoa producers in the world, and they generate nearly 70% of world production. The EU funding aims to encourage cooperation in the sector to ensure a decent income for farmers, to halt deforestation, and to eliminate child labour, said the Commission. (AN)