Ghanaians have been advised by the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) to consume more Ghanaian cocoa products in order to enhance their health and spur the country’s economic growth.
According to Mr. Akwasi Agyeman, CEO of GTA, “as we eat and consume more cocoa products, production goes up and more people can be employed in terms of suppliers, producers, wholesalers, and retailers in the value chain.”
He declared that in an effort to boost local production and consumption, GTA would collaborate with pertinent stakeholders to step up the spread of knowledge about the nutritional and health advantages of cocoa, the primary ingredient in chocolate.
As part of the festivities for this year’s National Chocolate Week celebration, Mr. Agyeman made this observation during a health walk and cocoa exhibition hosted by the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) in partnership with the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Cocoa Processing Company (CPC), and Ghana Tourism Federation (GHATOF).
The purpose of the activity was to raise public awareness of the value of cocoa consumption by having participants stroll through some of Accra’s main thoroughfares.
Mr. Agyeman went on to say that the promotion of cocoa products would reach out beyond urban areas and encompass cocoa-producing regions as well as other rural areas.
He emphasized the advantages of ingesting cocoa-based products, particularly chocolate, stating that it has been shown to be nutrient-rich and that, as a result, every Ghanaian should consume cocoa to strengthen their immune systems.
For this reason, Mr. Agyeman urged the hotel sector to endorse cocoa goods in order to boost consumption among both domestic and international guests.
Dr. Ampofo addressed the problem of destroying cocoa farms for mining purposes, stating that COCOBOD supports the nation’s cocoa farms and was developing a regulation that would make it illegal “if you touch a cocoa farm.”
The goals of this year’s National Chocolate Week, “Eat Chocolate, Stay Healthy, Grow Ghana,” are to boost domestic travel and encourage the use of chocolate made in Ghana.
The Ministry of Tourism created the day in 2005 with the goal of changing the general belief that Valentine’s Day encourages immoral behavior among young people and encouraging chocolate consumption.
