Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana have agreed to harmonise their cocoa farm-gate pricing policies in a major step aimed at improving farmer incomes, stabilising the cocoa market, and strengthening cooperation between the world’s two largest cocoa-producing countries.
The commitment was contained in a Joint Declaration issued by President Alassane Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire and President John Dramani Mahama at the Côte d’Ivoire-Ghana High-Level Summit on the Future of the Cocoa Economy held in Abidjan on Tuesday.
The two leaders acknowledged that their countries account for about 60 percent of global cocoa production and therefore have a shared responsibility to shape the future of the sector and improve the welfare of cocoa farmers.
Under the agreement, the two countries pledged to harmonise farm-gate price policies to optimise producer remuneration, reduce market distortions, and deepen commercial cooperation. The initiative will involve greater market synergy, alignment of premiums, and harmonisation of crop-season calendars between the two countries.
The move is expected to reduce unhealthy competition across borders and strengthen the bargaining position of the two countries in the global cocoa market.
In the declaration, the two Heads of State reaffirmed their belief that fair remuneration for cocoa farmers is essential for the long-term sustainability of the sector and for promoting economic justice and social stability in cocoa-growing communities.
The leaders also highlighted the achievements of the Côte d’Ivoire-Ghana Cocoa Initiative (CIGCI), including the introduction of the Living Income Differential (LID), efforts to harmonise marketing and price announcements, and cooperation on traceability and sustainable cocoa standards.
Despite these gains, the declaration noted that the cocoa sector continues to face significant challenges, including price volatility, illegal gold mining, climate change, the growing use of cocoa substitutes, and increasingly stringent international sustainability requirements.
Beyond price harmonisation, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana agreed to strengthen scientific cooperation in combating cocoa diseases, particularly Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease, expand cocoa processing and value addition, and promote greater regional consumption of cocoa products.
The two countries further announced plans to expand the Côte d’Ivoire-Ghana Cocoa Initiative to other African cocoa-producing nations in order to enhance regional cooperation, harmonise sector policies, and strengthen Africa’s collective bargaining power in the global cocoa economy.
