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COFAAA SETS UP FORUM TO EVALUATE COCOA PRICE, GOVERNMENT POLICIES
“…The other reason for setting up the forum is to assist farmers across these origin countries by providing inputs, others…” – COFAAA President Adegoke
The Cocoa Farmers Alliance Association of Africa has set up a Global Members Assembly and Empowerment Forum to appraise pricing models and other developments affecting farmers in the continent.
The Forum is also to come up with a position, especially considering that Africa produces 70% of world cocoa production, with Ivory Coast and Ghana alone accounting for 60% of it.
This was contained in an Open Letter written by the President, Comrade Adeola Adegoke and made available to newsmen.
He lamented that the countries have gained less than 6% as a continent from the over $147 billion US value of the chocolate market across the world.
OPEN LETTER TO THE COCOA FARMERS OF AFRICA
Greetings from the leadership of the Cocoa Farmers Alliance Association of Africa (COFAAA).
Special thanks to the cocoa farmers’ leadership in our different cooperatives, associations, organizations, and NGOs in Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria, Uganda, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Liberia etc for their coordination and support at this precarious time of the cocoa industry.
We understand that cocoa farmers are currently going through a difficult time now due to the downturn in cocoa price over the past one year.
No origin countries in Africa is currently immune from this terrible situation, which has negatively impacted the good enthusiasm exhibited by all of us during the cocoa price boom in 2024, which reached about $12,000 per metric tonne at the international market.
It is also quite unfortunate that many of our cocoa farmers, especially from Ivory Coast and Ghana, could not really enjoy the epic prices due to their current cocoa market models, one of which is semi-regulated with price setting, while the latter is totally regulated with price setting and sole exporting.
Please note that the idea of setting up these market models by our respective governments is to protect our cocoa farmers from the price volatility of the market, which we are currently experiencing.
At COFAAA, we find it concerning that the current pricing models do not seem to be delivering the intended benefits for cocoa farmers.
These systems were designed to help stabilize prices across cocoa-producing countries, yet in practice, prices have been quickly adjusted to match international market fluctuations.
This outcome appears to move away from the original goal of creating more stability and protection for farmers.
We have also been closely following recent developments in the chocolate market, where the recent price surge has placed significant pressure on sales and margins particularly in Europe.
At the same time, it’s important to recognize that global chocolate consumption has long been sustained by the hard work of African cocoa farmers many of whom continue to face serious challenges, including low incomes, child labor risks, limited access to education, poor infrastructure, inadequate healthcare, and growing security concerns such as illegal mining.
These realities continue to affect the long-term sustainability of the sector.
This brings us to an important and shared question: What is a fair and sustainable price for cocoa per ton today?
One that supports both farmers at origin and buyers in international markets while also aligning with the evolving compliance and sustainability standards shaping the future of the industry.
It is concerning to see that over the past year despite the sharp downturn in cocoa prices, the impact of the Living Income Differential (LID) has not been as strong as many had hoped.
The LID, which provides an additional $400 per ton regardless of negotiated market prices, was designed as a safety net for farmers.
However, its benefits may not be fully reaching farmers, possibly due to limited access to information at the farm level.
That said, the LID remains a commendable initiative by Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.
It represents an important step toward improving farmer incomes and deserves continued support as a mechanism that provides additional value beyond market prices.
This raises an important question for all stakeholders: How sustainable is the LID in the long term? Is it a tool that can work consistently across different market conditions, or does its effectiveness depend on certain parameters?
We respectfully encourage the Conseil du Café-Cacao, Ghana COCOBOD, and the Côte d’Ivoire–Ghana Cocoa Initiative to provide further clarity on the current status and future direction of the LID.
Their guidance will be valuable for other cocoa-producing countries in Africa that are considering adopting similar approaches.
COFAAA as an organization representing the producers in the continent – the voice and the mouthpiece has set up a COFAAA Global Members Assembly & Empowerment Forum to appraise the current development as it affects us as a continent and come up with a position, especially considering that Africa produces 70% of world cocoa production, with Ivory Coast and Ghana alone accounting for 60% of it, and has gained less than 6% as a continent from the over $147 billion US value of the chocolate market across the world.
The other reason for setting up the forum is to also find a way to assist our cocoa farmers across these origin countries through providing inputs and other safety nets that could one way or the other cushion the effects of the fall in cocoa prices experienced across the board of each cocoa-producing country.
Representation at this COFAAA Assembly Forum includes approximately 20 cocoa farmers per country, with participation currently confirmed from Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria, Uganda, and Sierra Leone.
Subcommittees have been established and are led by Cocoa experts across Africa, bringing together diverse experience and perspectives to guide the initiative.
Public discourse will commence on the 21st March, 2026 via a Zoom session, to enable broad participation from cocoa farmers.
This collective engagement is designed to foster unity and solidarity, positioning the continent for a stronger and more sustainable future.
“We cannot continue doing the same things in the same way in Africa and expect a different outcome.”
Let me appreciate your continued doggedness and resilience over the years, as we believe that the sun will still shine again in Africa by God’s grace.
Thank you for your time to read this message.
Yours truly,
Global President,
COFAAA President Adeola Adegoke
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