African cocoa-producing countries have been urged to establish a continental alliance that can set a common cocoa price benchmark and better protect farmers from the volatility of international commodity markets.
The call was made by the Global President of the Cocoa and Coffee Farmers Alliance Association of Africa (COCEFAAA), Comrade Adeola Adegoke, who proposed a minimum cocoa price of $6,000 per metric tonne as part of efforts to strengthen Africa’s bargaining power in the global cocoa trade.
According to Adegoke, a unified pricing framework would enable African cocoa-producing nations to negotiate from a stronger position, ensure fairer returns for farmers and reduce the adverse effects of fluctuating global commodity prices.
He noted that although Africa accounts for the majority of global cocoa production, many farmers continue to receive inadequate returns due to price instability, rising production costs and limited influence over international market pricing.
The COCEFAAA president emphasized that greater collaboration among cocoa-producing countries would help improve market coordination, promote sustainable production and enhance the welfare of millions of smallholder farmers across the continent.
He also called for increased investment in value addition, local processing and climate-resilient farming practices to strengthen the competitiveness of Africa’s cocoa industry and increase export earnings.
Adegoke stressed that protecting cocoa farmers through fair pricing mechanisms would encourage greater investment in cocoa production, attract young people to the sector and improve long-term sustainability.
Stakeholders have continued to advocate stronger regional cooperation to address common challenges such as climate change, crop diseases, low productivity and market volatility affecting the cocoa value chain.
The proposed continental alliance is expected to foster policy coordination, strengthen Africa’s voice in global commodity markets and promote a more equitable and sustainable cocoa industry that benefits both producers and consumers.
