40% of African Cocoa Farmers Risk Losing EU Market Access Over Deforestation Rules

Up to 40 per cent of African smallholder cocoa farmers could lose access to the European Union market if they fail to meet compliance requirements under the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), the Coffee Farmers Alliance Association of Africa (COCEFAAA) has warned.

The association’s Global President, Adeola Adegoke, raised the concern at the end of the two-day Africa Cocoa and Coffee Conference in Lagos, where stakeholders called for stronger African participation in international trade negotiations affecting the continent’s cocoa and coffee industries.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Adegoke said the regulation could create significant challenges for smallholder farmers who lack the financial resources, technology and documentation needed to meet traceability requirements.

“Up to 40 per cent of African smallholder farmers could face exclusion from the European market if they are unable to comply with the requirements,” he said.

The EUDR is designed to ensure that specified commodities entering the EU market are not linked to deforestation. However, compliance can require detailed information about where products originate and evidence that they meet the regulation’s requirements.

Adegoke called on African cocoa-producing countries to strengthen their negotiating positions and improve traceability systems. He also urged governments and development partners to provide farmers with the technical and financial assistance needed to meet the rules without losing access to important export markets.

The conference also examined the potential impact of cell-cultured cocoa technologies on traditional farming communities. Adegoke warned that growing investment in alternative cocoa production could affect demand for conventionally grown cocoa and create further uncertainty for farmers who depend on the crop for their livelihoods.

He urged African countries to assess the economic and social implications of these technologies and develop policies to protect farmers’ interests.

More than 200 delegates attended the conference, representing producing countries, governments, research institutions, development partners, commodity associations, private businesses, multilateral organisations and the media.

Participants adopted the Lagos Declaration 2026, a framework intended to improve farmers’ livelihoods, increase productivity and expand African ownership of the cocoa and coffee industries.

The conference also produced the Lagos Pact, which outlines three positions African cocoa- and coffee-producing countries intend to advance in continental and international negotiations. These include reserving the terms “cocoa” and “coffee” for farmed products, advocating mandatory “Cell-Cultured Product” labelling at the Codex Alimentarius, and proposing a one per cent adaptation levy on revenues from cell-cultured products to support African smallholder farmers through the Common Fund for Commodities.

The pact is expected to serve as a common African position at the African Union Summit scheduled for February 2027.

Adegoke said Africa had the knowledge and solutions needed to transform its cocoa and coffee industries but lacked effective mechanisms to scale them across the continent.

“Africa is not short of solutions. We are short of mechanisms to scale them,” he said.

Figures presented by Adegoke at the conference indicated that Africa produces about 75 per cent of the world’s cocoa and 12 per cent of its coffee but captures less than six per cent of the value of chocolate. He also said many farmers earn approximately $1.20 a day.

The Lagos Declaration identifies eight areas for coordinated action: planning and coordination; unity and governance; farmers’ welfare; productivity; sustainability; traceability and product identity; value addition and finance; and people’s welfare.

Under the declaration, participants pledged to develop strategic plans with clear responsibilities, timelines and measurable outcomes. They also committed to strengthening farmers’ cooperatives, improving incomes, investing in research and extension services, protecting forests and promoting climate resilience.

The declaration further calls for greater investment in local processing, stronger African brands and expanded market access under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The commitments aim to strengthen Africa’s position in global cocoa and coffee value chains while ensuring that farmers and producing countries retain a greater share of the value generated by their commodities.