Nominations continue for the 2020 Ghana Cocoa Awards
Over 30 award categories are up for grabs as nominations continue for the 2020 Ghana Cocoa Awards, an industry scheme in its second year that recognises and celebrates sector excellence.
The event was instituted to shine the limelight on personalities and success stories in the country’s cocoa industry, with this year being particularly notable amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Under the theme The Africa Continental Free Trade Area – Prospects and Opportunities for Africa’s Cocoa, the awards will honour the true heroes behind Ghana’s economic backbone.
Last year, 30 organisations and individuals were rewarded in competitive categories, with seven distinguished personalities singled out for honorary recognition for their contribution to the sector.
Founder and Event Director, Mr Kojo Hayford revealed that nominations will be continuing until October 16 across its categories. He said: “2020 has been a particularly difficult year globally as the world continues to battle the COVID19 pandemic. But at the same time, the concerted response of the cocoa industry in Ghana and the sheer resilience demonstrated, we believe, is worth celebrating.”
He added: “That is why the Advisory and Awarding Board chaired by global cocoa and chocolate industry scholar, Professor Emmanuel Ohene Afoakwa, has endorsed for us to honour five organisations that stood out in the COVID19 response effort with the COVID19 Hero Honorary Award.”
As organisers noted, there are over thirty other competitive and honorary award categories open to all personalities, companies and organisations in various sections of the cocoa value chain. They include sustainability and NGO, agro-input, internal marketing, technology, haulage and logistics, processing, manufacturing, artisanal value addition, consumption promotion, tourism and media.
Others accolades include best company, CEO and entrepreneur of the year categories, brands of the year, cocoa financing institution, export promotion, Lifetime Achievement and Woman of Excellence award categories.
According to Hayford, “honouring the hardworking and true heroes of Ghana’s economic backbone is very relevant in appreciating their contribution to the economy and national development, and to spur them on for even greater achievements.”
The founder of the cocoa industry awards scheme was full of praise for the sector regulator, Ghana Cocoa Board, for striving to maintain the production of premium quality cocoa beans for which Ghana is celebrated all over the world.
Cocoa, Ghana’s leading cash crop, contributes some $2 billion annually to the economy of Ghana and this is made possible by the combined effort of our respected cocoa farmers and a complex chain of hardworking non-farming actors.
Ghana Cocoa Awards 2020 is scheduled for Saturday 14th November at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City, Accra to recognise excellence in the cocoa industry while serving as a platform for networking and creating visibility for outstanding leadership and success stories. For more information visit www.ghanacocoaawards.com
