Akwasi Agyeman
The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has urged Ghanaians to increase the consumption of Ghanaian cocoa products to improve their health and boost national economic growth.
Mr. Akwasi Agyeman, the Chief Executive Officer, GTA, said “as we eat and consume more cocoa products, production goes up and more people can be employed in the value chain in terms of suppliers, in terms of producers, and in terms of wholesalers and retailers.”
According to him, GTA would partner relevant stakeholders to intensify awareness creation on the health and nutritional benefits of cocoa, the main ingredient in chocolate, in a bid to increase local production and consumption.
He was speaking at a health walk and cocoa exhibition organised by the GTA in collaboration with the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Cocoa Processing Company (CPC), and Ghana Tourism Federation (GHATOF), as part of activities for this year’s National Chocolate Week celebration.
The exercise, which saw participants walk through some principal streets of Accra, was aimed at sensitising the public on the importance of cocoa consumption.
Mr. Agyeman mentioned that the awareness creation on cocoa products would not only be limited to the urban areas but extended to cocoa producing areas and other rural areas.
“I will appeal to the operators, especially hotels and restaurants, to try and promote cocoa consumption. When people come in the morning for breakfast, do not just serve them tea or coffee but rather add chocolate, add cocoa,” he added.
This year’s National Chocolate Week, themed, “Eat Chocolate, Stay Healthy, Grow Ghana,” aims to promote the consumption of Ghanaian chocolate and increase domestic tourism.
The day was instituted in 2005 by the Ministry of Tourism to promote the consumption of chocolate on Valentine’s Day and change the widely held perception of the promotion of immoral conduct among the youth on the day.