Accra: Africa could soon lose its leading position in global cocoa production if systemic challenges are not urgently addressed, warned Mr. Adeola Adegoke, the Global President of the Cocoa Farmers Alliance Association of Africa (COFAAA). Despite the continent producing 70% of the world's cocoa, it faces significant underdevelopment in cocoa-growing communities, threatening the livelihoods of farmers and the sustainability of the cocoa ecosystem.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Adegoke highlighted how low farmer incomes, rising production costs, deforestation, illegal mining encroachment, child labor pressures, and a lack of value addition are opening the door for other continents to overtake Africa in cocoa production. Speaking at the 2025 African Cocoa Summit and Awards in Accra, under the theme 'Building Sustainable Africa Cocoa Ecosystem: Unlocking Economic Potentials, Driving Inclusive Growth,' he emphasized the urgent need for reforms.
The summit, organized by COFAA and the Cocoa Roundtable Initiative (CORI), in collaboration with Global Cocoa Stakeholders, aims to bring value chain stakeholders together to propose practical, Africa-led solutions. Despite the global chocolate industry's valuation at over $130 billion, African cocoa farmers earn less than six percent of the revenue, leaving communities impoverished despite their central role in the global value chain.
Mr. Adegoke noted that many farmers struggle with access to potable water, good roads, and basic social services, and their children often lack access to quality education due to insufficient funding. Skyrocketing input costs and declining farmgate prices have further eroded farmers' confidence, threatening the survival of cocoa farms. Additionally, illegal mining activities are encroaching on fertile cocoa lands.
The Global President called for policies promoting local cocoa processing and consumption to retain more value within the continent. He stressed that Africa needs to learn how to consume chocolate, highlighting that many cocoa farmers have never tasted a chocolate bar despite decades of production.
Nana Yaw Reuben Jnr, the Country Director of COFAAA - Ghana, emphasized that cocoa farmers have been excluded for too long from critical conversations affecting their livelihoods. He advocated for a future where international partners engage with African farmers directly, emphasizing the need for discussions about cocoa to be rooted in Africa.
Nana Yaw insisted that Africa must receive due recognition for sustaining the global cocoa economy, as the continent is the source of every cocoa bean used in Europe. He called for fair pricing, genuine participation in sectoral dialogues, and full inclusion of African farmers in decisions shaping the cocoa industry. For true justice and sustainability, farmers must not only be represented but also lead these conversations.
