Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana Reaffirm Commitment to a Sustainable Cocoa Economy

At the High-Level Summit on the Côte d’Ivoire–Ghana “Cocoa Initiative” held on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara and his Ghanaian counterpart John Dramani Mahama reaffirmed their shared commitment to promoting a sustainable cocoa economy.

“With my brother, President John Dramani Mahama, we reaffirm today our determination to continue working together to build a fair, prosperous, and sustainable cocoa economy for Côte d’Ivoire, for Ghana, and for Africa,” said Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara.

According to the Ivorian President, the future of the cocoa sector represents a major issue of economic sovereignty, social stability, and shared prosperity for both countries. Cocoa supports several million people in rural areas, significantly contributing to household incomes, job creation, and the mobilization of resources needed to finance development policies.

Alassane Ouattara welcomed the significant achievements made through the Côte d’Ivoire–Ghana Cocoa Initiative, while stressing that these should not overshadow the ongoing challenges facing the sector, including global price volatility, the effects of climate change, and new international regulatory requirements on sustainability and traceability. He called for the gradual building of an African coalition of cocoa-producing countries capable of amplifying the continent’s voice in global cocoa governance.

For his part, the Ghanaian President emphasized the need to continue investing even more effort and resources into the sector to support its development.

John Dramani Mahama expressed the wish that Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana further strengthen institutional cooperation, which would enhance relations between the two countries and contribute to the development and resilience of the cocoa industry. “Our goal is to give farmers all the necessary tools to continue producing cocoa beans,” he said.

It should be noted that the two countries together account for more than 60% of global cocoa production, while the African continent supplies nearly 80%.