By Foday Moriba Conteh
As part of their efforts towards enhancing regulatory frameworks and ensuring sustainable practices in Sierra Leone’s agricultural sector in the country, Solidaridad West Africa, in collaboration with the Produce Monitoring Board of Sierra Leone and Welt Hunger Hilfe (WHH), with funds from the European Union in Sierra Leone has no Thursday 25th July, 2014 concluded a two-day second stakeholders’ engagement meeting on Sierra Leone Cocoa, Cashew, Coffee (SLCCC) Platform. The meeting which brought together stakeholders from both the public and private sectors within the cocoa, coffee and cashew industries was held at Sierra Palms in Freetown.
Speaking to this medium, the Executive Chairman, Dr. James Vibbi, said during the two-day interactive meeting, stakeholders discussed relevant issues and policies aimed at promoting trade facilitation, inter-agency coordination and providing directives on major trade facilitation issues in these sectors.
He added that they will also use the opportunity to discuss on Agricultural Regulatory Reforms, specifically Chapter 185 (Cap 185) Native Produce Rules. This native Agricultural Act governs the inspection, storage, transportation and grading of produce for export. Additionally, the meeting will address the European Union Deforestation Regulations (EUDR).
On his part, Andrew Kojo Morrison, the Country Representative for Solidaridad in Sierra Leone, said that the gathering brought together key players within Sierra Leone’s cocoa, coffee and cashew sectors under the auspices of the Produce Monitoring Board (PMB) and the Ministry of Agriculture.
“This meeting is a crucial forum for stakeholders in the cocoa, coffee, and cashew industries to discuss pressing issues affecting these sectors,” said Andrew Kojo Morrison. He emphasized the importance of these engagements in fostering collaboration and addressing challenges within the industry.
The event was co-organized by Solidaridad, PMB and the Ministry of Agriculture. The Country Representative highlighted the role of Solidaridad, a Civil Society Organization, in the sector. “Solidaridad have been actively implementing projects in cocoa, coffee and cashew, mostly funded by the European Union,” he noted. “We collaborate closely with PMB as the regulator and the Ministry of Agriculture, the mainline Ministry, to convene these meetings.”
The meeting agenda included critical discussions on European Union regulations, specifically the European Union Deforestation Regulations (EUDR) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (EU CSDDD). “These regulations are vital for the sustainability of our exports,” Andrew Kojo Morrison explained. “The EUDR emphasizes the import of sustainable products into the European market and companies involved in cocoa, coffee and cashew must align with these standards.”
He stressed the importance of the new Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, which mandates large companies to adhere to labour and environmental standards. “It is imperative for our companies to stay compliant with these regulations to ensure sustainable corporate practices within the European Union,” he added.
The two days meeting underscored the collaborative efforts of stakeholders in promoting sustainable practices and ensuring that Sierra Leone’s agricultural products meet international standards.
