African Cocoa Growers Urge Continental Price Agreement as Income Shrinks

The head of the Cocoa Farmers Alliance Association of Africa has called on cocoa‑producing nations to adopt a unified pricing system in response to falling incomes and market instability affecting growers across the continent. Adeola Adegoke said current national pricing frameworks aren’t providing the stability they promised and that farmers are struggling despite recent periods of high global cocoa prices.

In an open letter to colleagues and stakeholders, Adegoke described how producers in many countries are facing shrinking returns, even though mechanisms like regulated price systems and special differentials were introduced to protect them from extreme market swings. He argued these tools haven’t lived up to expectations and have struggled to buffer farmers from the impact of international price changes.

Beyond pricing issues, the COFAAA leader highlighted broader challenges confronting cocoa workers, including limited access to services like education and healthcare, and security concerns tied to illegal mining in some producing regions. He stressed that Africa supplies the majority of the world’s cocoa but captures only a small share of the value generated in the global chocolate industry.

To address these concerns, COFAAA is launching a global assembly and forum to craft a common approach on pricing and welfare support for farmers. This initiative will involve representatives from major cocoa‑producing countries across the continent and aims to develop strategies that could improve earnings and resilience for growers.