The Cocoa Farmers Alliance Association of Africa (COFAAA) has reiterated its dedication to advancing sustainable technologies that enhance the livelihoods of African cocoa growers and their communities, as well as to advancing economic fairness and elevating the voices of cocoa farmers.
Africa supplies more than 70% of the world’s cocoa, but systemic injustices and unfair international trade practices keep the continent’s farmers impoverished, according to Comrade Adeola Adegoke, President and Global Coordinator of COFAAA, who spoke at the organization’s global webinar.
The African cocoa ecosystem serves as the foundation for the global chocolate business, which is worth over $120 billion a year, he said.
“However, the economic advantages are still unequally shared, making African cocoa producers susceptible to poverty, unstable prices, and unjust market conditions,” Adegoke stated.
By working more closely with international cocoa organizations, development partners, and the governments of African cocoa-producing nations, COFAAA hopes to buck this trend and promote the interests of smallholder farmers.
The goal, according to Adegoke, is to raise local processing and cocoa production in Africa to roughly four million metric tonnes, or 90% of the world’s total cocoa production.
“This must be accomplished through increased productivity per hectare (800 kg to 1000 kg), sustainable practices like intensifying cocoa agroforestry, ecosystem management, traceability, premium flavor processing methods, and climate-smart and soil-friendly farming practices—all while guaranteeing youth inclusivity.”
He went on to say that the webinar was organized to support and maintain African leadership in the global cocoa economy by bringing smallholder cocoa farmers’ voices together, increasing productivity using sustainable practices, and encouraging increased cooperation among stakeholders.
Adegoke defined COFAAA as a membership-based organization dedicated to addressing the most important issues confronting cocoa growers throughout Africa.
Our goal is to support sustainable agricultural methods, give farmers more authority, and guarantee the long-term sustainability of the world’s cocoa environment. “Africa’s cocoa industry is a symbol of our agricultural heritage and a major economic driver,” he remarked.
He praised the work of international cocoa organizations and stakeholders, such as the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF), Ghana Cocoa Board, Cameroon’s National Cocoa and Coffee Board, Nigeria’s National Cocoa Management Committee, the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO), and others, for helping to sustain African cocoa production in the face of growing climate change threats.
He said, “A lot of African governments and institutions have already put in place sound policy frameworks and strategic partnerships to keep us at the forefront of the world’s cocoa production, which currently accounts for 70% of the total.”
Speaking as the webinar’s keynote speaker, Alex Assanvo, Executive Secretary of the Cote d’Ivoire-Ghana Cocoa Initiative (CIGHCI), praised COFAAA for providing a forum to elevate the voices of African cocoa farmers. He was represented by his deputy and Technical Manager, Tawiah Agyarko-Kwarteng.
The cooperation is timely and in line with CIGHCI’s purpose to enhance farmers’ welfare through the economic, social, and environmental pillars of sustainability, according to Agyarko-Kwarteng.
She emphasized that the CIGHCI was founded by the presidents of Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire to solve severe issues in the cocoa industry, specifically with regard to prices and earnings for farmers in both nations, which together produce the majority of Africa’s cocoa.
