Posted by Chinenye on Wed 14th Oct, 2026 - tori.ng
A new warning has raised concerns about the future of African cocoa farmers and their earnings.
(African Cocoa. Photo by FB/Punch News)
The Coffee Farmers Alliance Association of Africa warns that up to 40 percent of African smallholder cocoa farmers could be locked out of the European market.
The reason is the EU Deforestation Regulation, which requires proof that products are not linked to deforestation. Small farmers often lack the money, tools and records to show that.
Adeola Adegoke, global president of the group, made the warning at the close of the Africa Cocoa and Coffee Conference in Lagos.
He called for African countries to strengthen their negotiating position and improve traceability.
He also urged support for small farmers so they can keep their access to export markets.
Lab-grown cocoa was another concern. Adegoke warned that more investment in these products could reduce demand for regular cocoa and put farmers' incomes at risk.
The conference adopted the Lagos Declaration 2026.
It commits members to better farmer incomes, stronger cooperatives, more local processing and wider use of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
It also sets out a three point position for the African Union Summit in February 2027.
The points are to reserve the names cocoa and coffee for farmed products, require labels for cell cultured products, and place a one percent levy on those products to support smallholders.
Adegoke said Africa grows about 75 percent of the world's cocoa and 12 percent of its coffee, but earns less than six percent of the value of chocolate.
Many farmers earn about $1.20 a day.
"Africa is not short of solutions.
We are short of mechanisms to scale them," he said.