... Sets to hold summit
Farmers under the auspices of Cocoa Farmers Alliance Association of Africa (COFAAA) are pushing for strategic reforms across the value chain, citing the need for fair-trade, traceable and deforestation-free cocoa production.
Adeola Adegoke, president of COFAAA, in a statement noted that the association plans to host a summit to strengthening of regional collaboration to increase policy leverage.
“We are not just a voice membership organisation. COFAAA is a movement committed to breaking the cycle of generational poverty for cocoa farmers in Africa,” said Adeola Adegoke, president of COFAAA.
Africa accounts for over 70 percent of global cocoa supply, with major producers including Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon and Uganda.
Yet, many smallholder farmers remain trapped in poverty due to poor farm yields, volatile global pricing, and minimal representation in international cocoa policy discussions.
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He said that the summit will address a strategic shift in global cocoa investment away from Africa, alongside emerging threats such as synthetic cocoa research.
“Africa cannot be stagnant while global actors reshape the cocoa economy without us,” he added. “It is time to collaborate, strategise, and lead.”
He revealed that the timing of the summit comes amid a surge in global cocoa prices, driven by poor harvests and disease outbreaks in top-producing countries.
According to Adegoke, the current market rally presents a rare opportunity to advocate for long-term reforms that prioritise farmers.
Highlights of the event will include high-level keynotes, panel sessions on market reforms and sustainability, the launch of frameworks for climate-resilient cocoa systems, and the cocoa awards to recognise excellence in production and innovation.
The summit, themed ‘One Voice, One Future -For a Thriving Africa’ scheduled to take place from October 22 to 23 at the ISSER Conference Centre, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, is open to stakeholders across the cocoa value chain and will serve as a platform for co-creating inclusive policies and sustainable business models.
