President Mahama joins Ouattara in Abidjan to chart sustainable future for cocoa economy
ABIDJAN, Côte d’Ivoire – June 17, 2026
President John Dramani Mahama has joined his Ivorian counterpart, President Alassane Ouattara, in Abidjan for the Côte d’Ivoire–Ghana High-Level Summit on the Future of the Cocoa Economy, as both nations push for coordinated action to secure the livelihoods of millions of cocoa farmers.
The summit, held in the Ivorian capital, brought together the world’s two largest cocoa-producing countries, which together account for nearly 60% of global cocoa output. The leaders used the platform to advance joint strategies aimed at strengthening the industry against price volatility, climate change, and structural challenges that continue to erode farmer incomes.
President Mahama held bilateral discussions with President Ouattara on the sidelines of the meeting. The talks focused on deepening cooperation within the cocoa sector and reinforcing the policy alignment that both countries have pursued in recent years. The two leaders emphasized the need for unity in negotiating with international buyers and chocolate manufacturers to ensure that a fair share of value stays within producing countries.
The Abidjan meeting builds directly on ongoing engagements under the Côte d’Ivoire–Ghana Cocoa Initiative, CIGCI. Established to harmonize policies and present a united front, CIGCI has become the central platform for coordinating production volumes, minimum price floors, and sustainability standards between the two nations. President Mahama noted that the initiative remains critical to protecting shared interests and amplifying the voices of cocoa-producing communities across West Africa.
Discussions at the summit centered on three key priorities: reinforcing measures to protect the cocoa industry from external shocks, enhancing domestic value creation through increased processing, and ensuring greater economic benefits reach farmers at the farm gate. Both governments agreed that without higher incomes for farmers, long-term sustainability of cocoa production would remain under threat from migration, aging farmers, and encroachment by illegal mining and logging.
President Mahama reiterated Ghana’s commitment to working closely with Côte d’Ivoire to transform the cocoa economy from a raw commodity export model into one that captures more value locally. He stressed that coordinated action on pricing, quality control, and traceability will be essential to meeting new European Union sustainability regulations while improving farmer welfare.
The High-Level Summit concluded with both presidents reaffirming their resolve to maintain the strategic partnership through CIGCI and to present joint positions at upcoming international cocoa forums.
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