KEY POINTS
- COCEFAAA identifies persistent price volatility as one of the biggest threats to Africa’s cocoa sector.
- Africa supplies about 70 percent of global cocoa output, yet farmers struggle with low, unpredictable returns.
- The Lagos fiesta in October will launch the alliance as the first pan-African body for cocoa and coffee farmers.
The Cocoa and Coffee Farmers Alliance Association of Africa has identified persistent market volatility as one of the biggest threats to the sustainable development of the continent’s cocoa sector. According to the group, fluctuating prices continue to undermine farmers’ livelihoods and slow investment across the value chain.
Farmers bear the brunt of market shocks
In a statement on Wednesday, ahead of the Cocoa and Coffee Fiesta Lagos 2026, scheduled for October 7 and 8, the group’s Global President, Adeola Adegoke, said African cocoa farmers have shown remarkable resilience despite years of unstable prices that have hurt income, productivity and growth. Moreover, he noted that Africa supplies about 70 percent of global cocoa output, yet many farmers still struggle with low and unpredictable returns.
“Market volatility remains a major threat to cocoa development across Africa. The constant fluctuations in prices have created uncertainty for farmers, discouraged investment and affected the long-term sustainability of the sector,” he said. Similarly, the group observed that producing countries such as Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon and Nigeria have sustained global supply for decades, although farmers often bear the burden of market shocks. Consequently, it called for stronger collaboration among governments, industry players and development partners to protect farmers’ incomes.
Lagos fiesta to seek practical solutions
COCEFAAA said the fiesta would give stakeholders a platform to discuss practical solutions to price volatility, market access, sustainability and regulatory compliance. Specifically, discussions will cover farmers’ income frameworks, de-commoditization strategies, agroforestry expansion, carbon credit opportunities, integrated soil management and compliance with the European Union Deforestation Regulation.
Furthermore, Adegoke said the event would showcase Nigeria’s push to revive coffee through the Nigeria Coffee Revival Initiative and to boost cocoa productivity through integrated soil management with donor partners. According to him, the effort should expand Nigeria’s export portfolio, create jobs for young people and women, raise foreign exchange earnings and deepen rural prosperity.
In addition, the association stressed that regional cooperation remains critical to tackling the sector’s shared economic, social and environmental challenges. “Africa must speak with one voice in protecting the interests of its farmers and value chain actors,” it said. Finally, the group revealed that the event would feature the official launch of the alliance as the first pan-African membership organization for cocoa and coffee farmers, with a mission to amplify farmers’ voices, promote sustainable production, advocate fair pricing and strengthen climate resilience.