Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has asserted that Africa must decisively expand into chocolate manufacturing and downstream industries to capture greater value from its dominant cocoa sector.
Delivering a keynote address at the inaugural Africa Cocoa Finance & Investment Forum (ACFIF 2026) at the London Stock Exchange, Kufuor emphasised that the continent cannot remain a marginal player in the value chain’s most profitable segments.
He observed that although Africa produces approximately 70% of the world’s cocoa beans, it represents less than 20% of global processing and under 2% of finished chocolate output, meaning the majority of value creation occurs offshore.
“The true economic value lies in chocolate manufacturing, branding, innovation, and long-term capital deployment,”** he stated, cautioning that the existing structure leaves African producers with only about 10% of the value chain.
He framed the forum as a vital platform for addressing structural imbalances by uniting financiers, policymakers, and industry leaders to mobilise capital and industrialise the cocoa ecosystem.
Reflecting on Ghana’s history, he noted past policy interventions—such as disease control, pricing reforms, and processing investments—that successfully enhanced local capacity.
Nevertheless, he maintained that a full transformation requires coordinated continental action focused on long-term investment and industrial scaling.
He identified four primary pathways to achieve a resilient cocoa economy by 2040: farmer prosperity and youth inclusion; value addition and industrial scaling; capital; and climate-focused investment.
“Africa must decisively expand into chocolate manufacturing, nutraceuticals, functional foods, and pharmaceutical applications. Cocoa’s health benefits – rich in antioxidants and flavonoids – remain grossly under-exploited, despite growing global demand,” he noted.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
