Fairtrade Africa is set to bring cocoa farmers, buyers, policymakers and industry stakeholders together to address the growing pressure on cocoa producers and the need for more sustainable incomes.
The discussions will take centre stage at the Fairtrade Africa “Change Day 2026” forum scheduled for Thursday, August 27, 2026.
The event will launch a wider business-to-business campaign running through September, with a major focus on narrowing the gap between cocoa prices paid to farmers and the actual cost of producing cocoa.
According to Fairtrade Africa, the forum will give farmers and workers an opportunity to engage directly with companies that purchase their cocoa and highlight the economic realities facing producers.
The organisation argues that paying farmers fairly should not be viewed solely as a social responsibility issue, but also as a way of protecting the long-term stability of the cocoa supply chain.
It said the sector was facing multiple pressures, including an ageing farming population, climate change and increasingly stringent international due-diligence requirements such as the European Union Deforestation Regulation.
New benchmark for cocoa buyers
The forum comes after the publication of the 2026 Fairtrade Living Income Reference Prices for Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, which together account for about 60 per cent of global cocoa production.
Fairtrade Africa said the reference prices provide an evidence-based benchmark to help determine the amount buyers would need to pay to enable cocoa-producing households to attain a living income.
“For too long, market volatility has made it harder for farmers to plan for a stable, living income,” said Paul Colditz, Commercial Director of Fairtrade Africa.
He said the Living Income Reference Price provided the cocoa industry with a clear benchmark for addressing the income gap faced by farmers.
The initiative is particularly relevant to Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, where millions of livelihoods depend on cocoa production but farmers continue to face challenges associated with rising production costs, climate pressures and fluctuations in global markets.
Fairtrade model
Fairtrade Africa said its approach to improving farmers’ livelihoods rests on three key mechanisms.
These include the Fairtrade Minimum Price, which provides a price floor intended to protect producers from severe market downturns.
The second is the Fairtrade Premium, additional funds paid to producer organisations for investment in community projects, business development and social initiatives.
The third is the Living Income Reference Price, which provides a benchmark for the income required by farming households to meet their basic needs and achieve a decent standard of living.
Fairtrade Africa is the independent, non-profit umbrella organisation representing nearly 1.5 million farmers and workers across more than 700 Fairtrade-certified producer organisations in Africa.
Its operations span four regional networks covering West, Southern, Eastern and Central Africa, as well as the Middle East and North Africa.
The Change Day forum is therefore expected to serve as a platform for farmers and other stakeholders to push for stronger commercial relationships and sourcing practices capable of securing the future of cocoa production on the continent.
