Ghana will use the 2027 World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) Partnership Meeting in Accra to push for fairer financing arrangements for cocoa-producing countries and attract investment into local cocoa processing and farm rehabilitation, as the sector grapples with climate pressures, crop disease and weakening prices.

The World Cocoa Foundation and the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) announced on Thursday that Ghana will host the global cocoa industry gathering from March 16-18, 2027, bringing together governments, chocolate manufacturers, farmer groups, financial institutions and development partners at what sector leaders described as a critical period for global cocoa production.

Speaking at the official announcement in Accra, COCOBOD Chief Executive Dr. Randy Abbey said Ghana intends to use the meeting to press international buyers and industry partners to assume a greater share of the financial burden associated with sustainable cocoa production.

“Producing countries cannot carry this financial burden alone,” Dr. Abbey said, warning that compliance with emerging sustainability and traceability requirements risked becoming “a tax on the poor” if financing obligations continue to fall disproportionately on farmers and origin countries.

He said COCOBOD would use the summit to advocate “a fair, transparent pricing structure that reflects the true cost of sustainable production,” while also making the case for investment into domestic cocoa processing, value addition and the rehabilitation of diseased cocoa farms.

The announcement comes as the global cocoa industry faces mounting supply-side pressures from climate change, ageing farms and the spread of Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease across West Africa, alongside concerns over declining farmer incomes despite recent volatility in global cocoa prices.

Dr. Abbey said Ghana was expanding investments in climate-smart agriculture, traceability systems and the rehabilitation of diseased farms under the direction of Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson, as authorities seek to stabilise the long-term viability of the sector. “On a daily basis, the Minister is working to ensure the financial viability and long-term survival of the cocoa sector,” Dr. Abbey said.

The cocoa sector remains strategically important to Ghana’s economy as a major source of export earnings, rural employment and foreign exchange inflows, although production has come under pressure in recent years due to disease outbreaks, illegal mining activities, weather shocks and financing constraints.

The World Cocoa Foundation said holding the Partnership Meeting in Ghana reflected a broader shift toward placing producing countries and farming communities at the center of discussions on the future of cocoa sustainability and supply resilience. Under the theme ‘From Origin to Global Resilience’, the 2027 meeting will focus on farmer livelihoods, climate resilience, disease management and supply security across the cocoa value chain.

Chris Vincent, President of the World Cocoa Foundation, said the sector was confronting simultaneous challenges ranging from disease outbreaks and climate-related disruptions to income pressures facing farmers.

“At a time when the cocoa sector is facing significant challenges — from disease, climate pressures and supply disruption to farmer incomes and long-term resilience — the Partnership Meeting will provide an important opportunity for governments, industry and partners to align around practical solutions and stronger collective action,” Vincent said.

The WCF Country Director for Ghana and Nigeria, Mawuli Coffie said sustainability discussions had historically focused heavily on supply chain compliance without adequately addressing farm-level economics. “Resilient cocoa supply chains begin with resilient farmers,” the director said, adding that low and unpredictable incomes risk undermining long-term production sustainability, particularly among younger farmers.

The organisation also warned that crop disease remained one of the largest threats to future cocoa supply security in West Africa, requiring stronger financing models and coordinated interventions involving governments, development institutions and private industry.

The 2027 Partnership Meeting will coincide with COCOBOD’s 80th anniversary celebrations, providing Ghana with a platform to reposition itself within global discussions around sustainable cocoa production and value-chain industrialisation.

Industry stakeholders expect the meeting to attract senior executives from multinational chocolate companies, commodity traders, sustainability organisations, and development finance institutions, potentially strengthening discussions around blended financing models, supply-chain investments and regional processing capacity.

For Ghana, the summit also offers an opportunity to deepen its longstanding push for greater local value retention within the cocoa industry, as authorities increasingly seek to move beyond raw bean exports toward higher-value processing and manufacturing activities. Further details on the meeting programme and venue are expected to be released by the World Cocoa Foundation in the coming months.