Cocoa Farming in West Africa: Financing Failure Deepens the Crisis
West Africa grows nearly 70 percent of the world’s cocoa, yet the very farmers behind this billion-dollar industry remain trapped in poverty. In countries like Ghana, Nigeria, and Côte d’Ivoire, smallholder farmers face low prices, unpredictable markets, and little to no access to affordable credit.
Olasunkanmi Owoyemi, Managing Director at SGC SunBeth Global Concepts, shed light on the sector’s greatest challenge. “The biggest issue is access to affordable credit,” he stated. “Without it, farmers can’t buy quality inputs, adopt better farming practices, or improve post-harvest storage. That lowers the cocoa quality and their income.”
Beyond finances, cocoa communities continue to struggle with deep-rooted issues like child labour, poor education, and gender inequality. Owoyemi noted that SGC is trying to change this through community-led empowerment programs, especially for women and children, along with transparent sourcing initiatives.
