Accra, Aug.25, GNA – Producer organisations, cocoa buyers, policymakers and partners from across Africa will gather at the Fairtrade Africa “Change Day 2026” forum to discuss issues pertaining to cocoa production on the continent.
A release copied to Ghana News Agency said the event, scheduled for Thursday, August 27, 2026, will mark the start of a broader business-to-business campaign, running through September.
“The event will bring farmers’ and workers’ voices directly into conversation with the companies that buy their cocoa, aimed at addressing the gap between pricing decisions and the realities of cocoa production.
“Change Day will make the case that sourcing on Fairtrade terms is not only a fairness issue but a supply chain resilience strategy, as an ageing farmer population, climate pressure and tightening due-diligence regulation such as the EU Deforestation Regulation reshape the economics of cocoa sourcing,” it said.
The gathering follows the publication of the new 2026 Fairtrade Living Income Reference Prices for Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, the countries that grow roughly 60 percent of the world’s cocoa.
“The reference prices give the industry, for the first time this year, a transparent, evidence-based benchmark for what buyers would need to pay to close the gap between current farm-gate pricing and a living income for the households growing their cocoa.
“For too long, market volatility has made it harder for farmers to plan for a stable, living income. The Fairtrade Living Income Reference Price gives the industry a clear benchmark for closing that gap,” stated Mr Paul Colditz, Commercial Director, Fairtrade Africa.
Fairtrade Africa is the independent, non-profit umbrella organisation representing close to 1.5 million farmers and workers in more than 700 Fairtrade-certified producer organisations across the continent.
It works through four regional networks spanning West, Southern, Eastern and Central Africa, and the Middle East and North Africa.
Its model rests on three linked mechanisms inlcuding the Fairtrade Minimum Price, which acts as a floor regardless of market swings.
The rest are the Fairtrade Premium, additional funds paid directly to producer organisations to invest as they choose in community projects, business growth, and social improvements; and the Living Income Reference Price.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey
Reporter: Ernest Nutsugah
email: [email protected]
