Ghana’s Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, has called for stronger cross-border coordination between Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana to safeguard cocoa revenues, stabilise producer incomes, and strengthen the long-term fiscal and development contribution of the cocoa sector, as both countries intensify efforts to manage external shocks and structural pressures affecting global cocoa markets.
Speaking in Abidjan at the 7th Ordinary Meeting of the Côte d’Ivoire–Ghana Cocoa Initiative (CIGCI), Ato Forson, who chairs the Steering Committee, framed the collaboration as essential to protecting the economic backbone of both economies, noting the need to “protect our economies” through sustained strategic engagement that moves the sector beyond reactive responses to price volatility and supply disruptions.
He stated that cocoa remains a critical foreign exchange earner and rural livelihood anchor for both countries, stressing that policy coordination must focus on improving farmer welfare, stabilising export earnings, and strengthening resilience across the value chain at a time of persistent global market uncertainty.
Ato Forson further emphasised that while immediate consensus on all challenges may not be achievable, the guiding objective must remain a “genuine and lasting positive impact” on cocoa farmers and the broader economies of both countries, particularly in relation to income stability, productivity enhancement, and long-term sector sustainability.
He encouraged open and solution-oriented engagement among stakeholders, calling for “practical solutions and concrete actions” that can reinforce institutional coordination between Accra and Abidjan, particularly in areas such as pricing alignment, market regulation, and shared response mechanisms to global supply chain disruptions.
The Finance Minister reiterated his earlier position that, as the world’s two leading cocoa producers, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire must “engage more consistently and strategically” to better anticipate shocks and shape the future structure of the cocoa economy rather than merely responding to external pressures.
He also noted the broader development imperative of transforming the cocoa industry into a more resilient and profitable sector, stressing the need for reforms that ensure sustainability, improve competitiveness, and secure long-term benefits for farming communities.
The meeting is expected to advance technical discussions on coordination frameworks and policy alignment mechanisms aimed at strengthening the joint influence of both countries within the global cocoa market, which continues to face price fluctuations, climate-related risks, and evolving regulatory demands.
