CMC Boss Urges Africa to Rethink Cocoa Exports, Push for Value Addition
The Chief Executive Officer of the Cocoa Marketing Company of Ghana (CMC), Dr Wisdom Kofi Dogbey, has called for a fundamental overhaul of Africa’s cocoa industry, warning that the continent’s continued dependence on exporting raw cocoa beans is draining billions of dollars in potential revenue and limiting long-term economic transformation.
Delivering a keynote address at the 2026 Africa Trade Summit under the theme “Africa Agribusiness Industry Insights,” Dr Dogbey described cocoa as the foundation of Ghana’s economy and a powerful but underexploited industrial resource across Africa. He stressed that while cocoa has sustained millions of livelihoods, the sector’s true value remains largely untapped on the continent.
“Cocoa is more than a commodity; it is central to Ghana’s identity and economic history,” he said. “Yet Africa continues to export raw cocoa while value is created elsewhere through processing, branding and finished products.”
Africa produces more than 70 per cent of the world’s cocoa, with Ghana widely recognised for the premium quality of its beans. However, Dr Dogbey noted that most of this output is processed outside the continent into cocoa butter, powder, cocoa mass and chocolate, depriving producing countries of higher export earnings, industrial employment and technological advancement.
According to him, this export model also exposes farmers and governments to severe price fluctuations on the international market, undermining income stability in the sector. “When we export cocoa in its raw state, we are effectively exporting jobs, income and prosperity,” he cautioned, adding that the model is no longer viable.
As part of efforts to change this trajectory, Dr Dogbey announced Project Elevate, a strategic initiative being driven by CMC to expand cocoa value addition. The programme focuses on increasing the export of semi-finished cocoa products such as butter, powder and cocoa mass, which attract higher margins and improve Ghana’s position within global supply chains.
He explained that agro-industrialisation of the cocoa sector would generate thousands of direct and indirect jobs, build specialised skills and stimulate related industries including logistics, packaging and manufacturing. Increased revenues, he added, would also enable greater investment in sustainable farming practices and improved support for cocoa farmers.
Dr Dogbey emphasised that the push for value addition must extend beyond cocoa to other agricultural commodities across Africa, describing it as a continental necessity for boosting GDP growth, diversifying exports and reducing poverty.
He concluded by calling for stronger collaboration among governments, the private sector and farmers, noting that successful value addition requires supportive policies, targeted investment and coordinated action to unlock Africa’s full agribusiness potential
