The Global President of the Cocoa Farmers Alliance Association of Africa (COFAAA), Comrade Adeola Adegoke, has called for an urgent and united African action to transform the continent’s cocoa industry from dependency to prosperity.
Speaking at the African Cocoa Summit and Awards 2025 held at the ISSER Conference Centre, University of Ghana, Accra, Comrade Adegoke described the summit as “a historic convergence of voices, a call for unity, and a solemn moment of truth for Africa’s cocoa sector.”
The two-day summit, organised by COFAAA in partnership with the Cocoa Roundtable Initiative (CORI), brought together government representatives, private sector players, researchers, development partners and farmers from across the continent under the theme “Building Sustainable Africa Cocoa Ecosystem: Unlocking Economic Potentials, Driving Inclusive Growth”.
In his passionate keynote address, Comrade Adegoke Adeola declared that Africa must move from being a mere exporter of raw cocoa beans to becoming a “producer of finished cocoa products and a controller of its own destiny.” “Cocoa is not just a commodity; it is a livelihood, a legacy, and a lifeline for millions of African families,” he said.
“If Africa produces 70% of the world’s cocoa, then Africa can and must claim its rightful share of value, dignity, and prosperity.”
Adegoke lamented the imbalance in the global cocoa economy where African farmers earn less than USD $2 per day while major multinational processors and chocolate manufacturers capture over 90% of the profits.
“This is not just an economic injustice; it is a moral one,” he stated. “The hands that grow the cocoa should not live in poverty. The same farmers whose sweat sustains a $130 billion global chocolate market must begin to share in that wealth.”
He warned that unless bold structural reforms are implemented, African cocoa producers risk losing their global leadership position to emerging competitors such as Ecuador and Brazil, who are rapidly increasing both production and value-chain integration. “The era of exporting 100% raw beans and importing finished cocoa products and derivatives to Africa for consumption must end. Africa’s cocoa story must be rewritten by Africans, for Africans,” Adegoke declared emphatically.
Mr. Nana Yaw Reuben Jr., Country Director of COFAAA-Ghana, added: “You cannot hold cocoa talks in Europe and expect Africa to benefit fully. Cocoa must be known as an African commodity, not a European one.”
Participants agreed that true transformation must begin with policy dialogues led in producing countries, not in foreign capitals. They identified three key priorities, which are African-Led Cocoa Policy and Governance by ensuring that global standards and trade contracts reflect African realities; Local Processing and Industrialisation by encouraging governments to invest in domestic processing, provide tax incentives, and stimulate local consumption and Farmer Welfare and Sustainability, thereby addressing the effects of climate change, deforestation, ageing farms, and poor farmer income to guarantee long-term sector viability.
Also, the COFAAA Global President also addressed pressing issues such as child labour, deforestation, and gender inequality within the sector. “We cannot speak of sustainability when the farmers who grow our cocoa are hungry,” he said.
“Women contribute up to 70% of the labour on cocoa farms, yet own barely 25% of the land. Our reforms must be gender-responsive, youth-driven, and inclusive.”
He stressed that empowering women, engaging youth, and promoting cooperative leadership are key to building a sustainable and resilient cocoa future. “Africa’s next generation must not inherit ageing trees and failing farms. They must inherit thriving industries and profitable enterprises,” he urged.
The summit drew distinguished attendees from across EU countries, UK and Africa’s cocoa-producing nations. Representing the Government of Nigeria were: Dr. Marcus Olaniyi Ogunbiyi, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security; Alhaji Bukar Musa, Director, Federal Department of Agriculture and Chairman, National Cocoa Management Committee (NCMC); and Ajayi Olutobaba, Deputy Director of Cocoa and Secretariat Head, NCMC. Development partners in attendance included: Samuel Noble Quaque, Technical Advisor, Sustainable Cocoa Initiative Programme – GIZ; Nana Akwetey, Representative, Lutheran World Relief / Corus International. Value chain stakeholders present were: Otunba Felix Oladunjoye (National President, Cocoa Processors Association of Nigeria – COPAN), Dr. Wisdom Kofi Dogbey (Managing Director, Cocoa Marketing Company – CMC, Ghana), Andrew Roland Obosu (Country Director, Dimitra, Ghana), Bakayoko Abdrahamande (Managing Director, CADESA Coop. CA, Côte d’Ivoire), Coulibaly Momadou (Sustainability Manager, LOCAGRI, Côte d’Ivoire), Gue Baba Jean Luc (Country Manager, TOUTOU SA, Côte d’Ivoire), Philippe Kouadio (Agroeconomist Engineer, INP-HB, Côte d’Ivoire), Bamba Badjeneba (Agronomy Engineer, DomNY SARL, Côte d’Ivoire), LOULONG W. Honorine (General Manager, CAFCAO Prestige, Cameroon) and a host of others.
Farmers and Farmers’ cooperatives from Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, and other producing countries were also in high attendance, strengthening the summit’s grassroots representation cut across communities in Africa.
The event climaxed with the African Cocoa Awards, celebrating exemplary institutions and corporate cocoa actor that have advanced the continent’s cocoa development agenda.
Ghana’s COCOBOD, Nigeria’s NCMC, Cameroon’s ONCC–NCBB, and Côte d’Ivoire’s Conseil du Café-Cacao were honoured with the Africa Cocoa Institution Development Champion Award for their leadership and innovation in promoting sustainable cocoa policies and sustaining Africa cocoa production leadership despite prevailing challenges in the industry.
In the private sector category, Sunbeth Global Concepts Ltd received the Africa Cocoa Fair Trading and Sustainability Champion Award for its dedication to ethical sourcing and sustainability in Africa’s cocoa value chain as the only corporate organization in this category. “These institutions are not just recipients of awards; they are symbols of Africa’s determination to lead its own transformation,” Adegoke said. “They embody the spirit of unity and excellence that this summit represents.”
In his closing remarks, Comrade Adegoke reaffirmed COFAAA’s commitment to driving the continent’s cocoa agenda through its PPC Framework, which unites Producing, Processing, and Consuming Countries under one cooperative vision. “This summit is not a ceremonial gathering,” he declared. “It is a declaration of intent, to rewrite the story of African cocoa from survival to prosperity, from vulnerability to strength, and from isolation to collaboration.”
He concluded with a rallying message that resonated across the conference hall: “The value of cocoa is not only in the beans we export, but in the futures, we can build through unity, processing, and sustainability. The future of cocoa belongs to Africa and Africa must lead the way.”
The Cocoa Farmers Alliance Association of Africa (COFAAA) is a continental organisation committed to uniting cocoa farmers, applifying their voices, strengthening cooperative systems, promoting sustainability, and advocating for policies that ensure fair value distribution across the cocoa value chain.
E-signed:
Comrade Adeola Adegoke
Global President
