A blueprint for low-emission cocoa in West Africa
When people think of West Africa, cocoa often comes to mind: a crop that shapes rural livelihoods, national economies, and the global chocolate industry. Across major producing countries such as Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon and Guinea, millions of families depend on the harvest each year. Together, these countries generate over 60% of global cocoa output, making the region the engine of global supply.
- Africa
- climate change
- food systems
A blueprint for low-emission cocoa in West Africa
When people think of West Africa, cocoa often comes to mind: a crop that shapes rural livelihoods, national economies, and the global chocolate industry. Across major producing countries such as Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon and Guinea, millions of families depend on the harvest each year. Together, these countries generate over 60% of global cocoa output, making the region the engine of global supply.
But years of forest conversion and growing climate pressures are testing the foundations of this success, just as new environmental regulations begin to reshape access to international markets. This is where the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT steps in. Across West Africa, the Alliance is working with farmers, cooperatives, businesses, and policymakers to rethink how cocoa is grown, traded, and supported. At the center of this effort is a six-step approach designed to turn research into real-world innovation.