By Awyetu Asabe Hope
African cocoa and coffee farmers have urged stronger stakeholder support to address worsening price instability affecting their livelihoods.
Under COCEFAAA, farmers warned that despite rising global market values, producers at the base of the supply chain continue to face income insecurity, limiting access to inputs and reducing productivity.
The group said Africa, which accounts for about 70% of global cocoa and 12.5% of coffee production, risks remaining a raw-material supplier unless it shifts toward value addition through local processing and roasting.
COCEFAAA also called for increased agricultural research, development ofa climate-resilient crop varieties, and stronger regional cooperation to improve farmers’ bargaining power and stabilise prices across producing countries.