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Commodities Under Neoliberalism: The Case Of Cocoa

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  • Irfan ul HAQUE

Abstract

The paper examines the case of cocoa as an illustration of the problems faced by primary commodity producers. The impact of market liberalization in cocoa producing countries as well as consuming industrial countries on the cocoa price and cocoa farmers is examined. The paper shows that the market liberalization cannot be held responsible for such improvements in productive efficiency as occurred over time, which was one of the two stated goals of these measure. Nor is there convincing evidence that the producer’s share in the export price increased, which was the other goal. A serious consequence of the preoccupation with market liberalization, however, was that it diverted attention from the main concerns of cocoa producers, viz., the market volatility, low prices, and the declining producers’ share in the value chain. The paper then goes on to explore the kinds of action that might be considered to address these issues. It makes a case for filling the institutional vacuum that has been created as a result of the abolition of state marketing authorities in several cocoa producing countries. The paper attempts to show that the conditions are favourable for cocoa producers to coordinate their production policies in order to maintain satisfactory cocoa prices, which is needed to arrest the erosion of incomes of cocoa producers.

Suggested Citation

  • Irfan ul HAQUE, 2004. "Commodities Under Neoliberalism: The Case Of Cocoa," G-24 Discussion Papers 25, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
  • Handle: RePEc:unc:g24pap:25
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    File URL: https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/gdsmdpbg2420041_en.pdf
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    Cited by:

    1. Maile, Felix, 2020. "Cooperation or confrontation? Public and private governance and smallholders' incomes in the cocoa sector in Ghana and in Côte d'Ivoire," ÖFSE-Forum, Austrian Foundation for Development Research (ÖFSE), volume 74, number 74.
    2. Boysen, Ole & Ferrari, Emanuele & Nechifor, Victor & Tillie, Pascal, 2023. "Earn a living? What the Côte d’Ivoire–Ghana cocoa living income differential might deliver on its promise," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 114(C).
    3. Andrew Mold and Annalisa Prizzon, 2010. "Fragile States, Commodity Booms And Export Performance: An Analysis Of The Sub-Saharan African Case," EUI-RSCAS Working Papers 21, European University Institute (EUI), Robert Schuman Centre of Advanced Studies (RSCAS).
    4. Dhanya V, 2008. "Liberalisation of Tropical Commodity Market and Adding-Up Problem: A Bound Test Approach," Working Papers id:1608, eSocialSciences.
    5. V. Dhanya, 2008. "Liberalisation of tropical commodity market and adding-up problem: A Bound test approach," Centre for Development Studies, Trivendrum Working Papers 399, Centre for Development Studies, Trivendrum, India.

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