President John Dramani Mahama has returned to Accra after a high-level bilateral engagement with his Ivorian counterpart, President Alassane Ouattara, aimed at strengthening cooperation between Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire in the cocoa sector.
The Côte d’Ivoire-Ghana High-Level Summit on the Future of the Cocoa Economy, held on Tuesday, ended with the signing of a Joint Declaration committing both countries to price stability, environmental sustainability, and increased local industrialisation of cocoa.
The two leaders, whose countries together account for about 60 per cent of global cocoa production, reaffirmed their commitment to placing cocoa farmers at the centre of sector governance and ensuring they receive fair returns for their produce.
President Mahama and President Ouattara expressed satisfaction with the progress made by the Joint Technical Committee and stressed the need for greater economic justice for farmers who remain critical to the survival of the global cocoa industry.
A major outcome of the summit was an agreement to strengthen the Living Income Differential (LID) and harmonise producer pricing mechanisms. The move is expected to help both countries better coordinate marketing strategies and cushion farmers against fluctuations in global cocoa prices.
The leaders also raised concerns about environmental threats affecting cocoa production, particularly illegal mining activities that have damaged water bodies and agricultural lands.
They agreed to pursue a joint strategy to combat illegal mining, undertake rehabilitation of affected water sources, and address the impact of climate change on cocoa yields.
Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire further committed to expanding scientific research collaboration to tackle the Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease (CSSVD) and other threats to cocoa production.
Beyond raw bean exports, the two countries pledged to accelerate local processing and promote cocoa consumption within Africa as part of efforts to increase the continent’s share of the global cocoa-chocolate value chain.
The leaders also agreed to open the cocoa alliance to other African cocoa-producing countries to strengthen the continent’s bargaining power internationally.
The Joint Declaration adopted in Abidjan on June 16, 2026, outlines key areas of cooperation, including the development of a common framework for determining producer prices, strengthening market intelligence, promoting sustainable cocoa standards, improving traceability, enhancing research partnerships, and increasing local processing capacity.
The agreement recognises the Côte d’Ivoire-Ghana Cocoa Initiative (CIGCI) and the African Regional Standards for Sustainable Cocoa (ARS-1000) as important mechanisms for achieving a more sustainable and equitable cocoa sector.
