The Côte d’Ivoire-Ghana Cocoa Initiative (CIGCI) has extended its heartfelt commendation to the government of Ghana for launching the 2025/2026 cocoa season with a record-breaking increase in the producer price of cocoa beans. The Initiative praised Ghana’s continued dedication to fostering a more equitable and sustainable cocoa economy—an industry that supports millions of livelihoods across West Africa.
In a landmark announcement this week, the Ghanaian government declared that the producer price of cocoa will rise from US$3,100 per metric ton to US$5,040 per metric ton, the highest level recorded in the country’s history. This strategic move reflects the government’s sustained effort to enhance the welfare of cocoa farmers while reinforcing Ghana’s leadership role in the global cocoa value chain.
The CIGCI, a coalition that champions the shared cocoa agenda of Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire—together accounting for over 60% of global cocoa production—described the new pricing policy as a crucial step toward correcting longstanding imbalances in the international cocoa trade.
“The increase in producer price is a clear demonstration of our members’ commitment to uphold their promise to cocoa farmers and strengthen the foundation for a fairer and more resilient cocoa economy,” said Alex Assanvo, Executive Secretary of the Côte d’Ivoire-Ghana Cocoa Initiative.
Bold Pricing, Bold Vision
The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), in collaboration with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, announced the 2025/2026 season’s price adjustment in a move widely seen as a bold declaration of policy intent. By substantially raising the farmgate price, Ghana aims to not only shield cocoa farmers from economic vulnerability but also ensure they receive a fair share of the profits generated across the global cocoa value chain.
In its congratulatory message, the CIGCI commended COCOBOD for taking what it described as a “transformational step” in realigning the country’s pricing mechanism with the lived realities of cocoa producers.
“This level of cooperation between major producing countries is unprecedented on the African continent,” the Initiative noted. “It reflects a shared vision of transformation in the cocoa sector.”
A History of Strategic Alliance
Since 2019, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire have worked hand-in-hand through the CIGCI to tackle systemic market failures and ensure cocoa producers are not left behind in a commodity market that too often prioritizes profits over people.
The two countries jointly introduced the Living Income Differential (LID)—a premium of US$400 per ton added to the world market price of cocoa—in an effort to bolster farmer incomes and make cocoa farming economically sustainable. Ghana’s recent price increase builds upon this platform of collaboration, further emphasizing the importance of strategic policy alignment between the continent’s two cocoa giants.
“Amid a volatile cocoa economy with market prices often falling below production costs, the two countries have closely collaborated to address entrenched market failures that had left cocoa producers holding the short end of the stick,” said Assanvo.
“A fair price to farmers is the first milestone to achieve a sustainable cocoa sector.”
A Call for Global Equity
The Initiative stressed that achieving a sustainable cocoa industry goes beyond pricing. According to CIGCI, true transformation requires a commitment to fairness, transparency, environmental stewardship, and social justice across the entire cocoa value chain—from farm to factory.
“We are working with partners and stakeholders globally to make cocoa the world’s first truly sustainable commodity,” the CIGCI stated. “That means ensuring it is environmentally sound, economically viable, and socially just. And this transformation can only be achieved if it is rooted in fairness and profitability for all—especially the cocoa farmer, without whom there is no cocoa and no chocolate.”
The bold pricing initiative announced by Ghana sets a precedent that the CIGCI hopes other cocoa-producing countries will emulate. It also sends a strong signal to multinational chocolate companies, traders, and processors: the days of underpaying producers while reaping excessive profits are coming to an end.
Ghana’s Continued Leadership
Ghana’s government, under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama, has made agricultural transformation—particularly in the cocoa sector—a national priority. The decision to increase producer prices is expected to significantly uplift rural communities, many of which rely heavily on cocoa cultivation as their primary source of income.
The CIGCI noted that Ghana’s renewed commitment is timely, especially as climate change, input cost inflation, and global supply chain disruptions continue to challenge cocoa farming households.
By championing farmer welfare through realistic pricing and transparent policy coordination with Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana is reaffirming its role as a regional and global leader in sustainable agricultural development.
About the Côte d’Ivoire-Ghana Cocoa Initiative
Formed to address inequalities in the global cocoa market, the Côte d’Ivoire-Ghana Cocoa Initiative serves as a platform for joint action, strategic coordination, and policy advocacy between the world’s two largest cocoa-producing countries. The Initiative is headquartered in Accra, Ghana, and works with governments, industry actors, and civil society to ensure that cocoa production is both rewarding for farmers and responsible toward the environment.
Contact Information
For further details and media inquiries, please reach out to:
Mdm. Widad Adaku Quaye
Administrative & External Relations Officer
📧 Email: widad.quaye@cighci.org
📞 Telephone: +233 59 384 7403
Africa Live News will continue to follow developments in Ghana’s cocoa sector and provide readers with accurate updates and expert analysis on the impacts of this price reform. Stay with us for more on how West Africa is shaping the future of sustainable agriculture, one cocoa bean at a time.
