African cocoa and coffee stakeholders have adopted the Lagos Pact on Commodity Integrity, setting out three proposals to protect traditional producers and establish a common position ahead of the African Union Summit in February 2027.
The pact was adopted at the two-day Africa Cocoa and Coffee Conference in Lagos, where stakeholders discussed emerging challenges in global commodity markets, including cell-cultured cocoa and stricter environmental compliance requirements.
The Global President of the Cocoa and Coffee Farmers Alliance Association of Africa (COCEFAAA), Comrade Adeola Adegoke, said African producing countries needed to engage international institutions collectively to protect farmers’ livelihoods and strengthen the continent’s influence in commodity negotiations.
“We will engage as One Africa,” he said.
The pact outlines three principal proposals. The first seeks to reserve the terms “cocoa” and “coffee” for conventionally farmed products, distinguishing them from commodities produced through alternative technologies.
The second calls for mandatory “Cell-Cultured Product” labelling under the Codex Alimentarius international food standards framework.
The third proposes a one per cent adaptation levy on revenues from cell-cultured products, with proceeds channelled towards supporting African smallholder farmers through the Common Fund for Commodities.
According to the conference statement, investment in cell-cultured cocoa has reached $350 million, while the technology could target 17 per cent of the market, potentially putting $3.1 billion in value at risk for African communities.
Adegoke also raised concerns about the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), warning that smallholder farmers could face exclusion from the European market without adequate support and traceability systems.
The pact is intended to provide African producers with a common framework for engaging international institutions on product standards, market access and the implications of emerging technologies.
COCEFAAA is expected to coordinate engagement with institutions including the African Union, AfCFTA, the International Cocoa Organisation, the International Coffee Organisation, the European Commission and Codex.
The organisation also plans to advance a continental Living Income Differential framework and establish a Pan-African Geographical Indication Registry to help African producers secure greater value from their commodities.
Stakeholders said coordinated action would be necessary to preserve product identity, improve transparency and ensure that decisions shaping global cocoa and coffee markets take the interests of traditional producers into account.
