GHANA TO HOST 2027 WORLD COCOA FOUNDATION PARTNERSHIP MEETING

Date: 22nd May 2026

The World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) has named Ghana as the host of the WCF 2027 Partnership Meeting, a global forum for stakeholders in the cocoa and chocolate industry. 

The announcement was made by Ghana’s Deputy Finance Minister, Honourable Thomas Ampem Nyarko at the official launch held on Thursday, 21st May 2026, in Accra. 

The Deputy Finance Minister described Ghana’s selection to host the 2027 Partnership Meeting as a significant milestone for the nation, its hardworking farmers and Africa. He noted that this milestone reflects Ghana’s resilience and continued leadership in the global cocoa industry.

“Today's announcement is far bigger than hosting a conference. It is about Ghana and Africa's continued leadership in the global cocoa sector. It is about resilience and sustainability. Above all, this is about the future of millions of farmers whose livelihoods depend on cocoa,” he said. 

Honourable Ampem Nyarko also revealed that the theme for the 2027 meeting, “From Origin to Global Resilience”, is particularly relevant, considering the current trends in the global cocoa industry. He emphasised that securing the future of cocoa and the cocoa industry is a shared responsibility and cannot be left to only the farmer. 

The Deputy Minister called for stronger partnerships among governments, industry players, financial institutions and farming communities, noting that it is critical to sustaining the cocoa and chocolate industry. 

“Governments alone cannot secure the future of cocoa. Resilience cannot be outsourced to farmers. Sustainability cannot be financed only at origin, and transformation cannot happen without shared responsibility across

the entire value chain. The future of cocoa will require stronger partnerships between governments, industry, financial institutions, research organisations, civil society and farming communities,” he stated.

In his speech, the Chief Executive of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Dr. Randy Abbey, expressed hope that the 2027 Partnership Meeting will be a turning point with concrete financial commitments that will reflect in a fair and transparent pricing structure to benefit the cocoa farmer.  

“We need a fair, transparent pricing structure that reflects the true cost of sustainable production. We hope to make this partnership meeting the turning point, where we move from rhetoric to concrete financial commitments. We will urge our partners to ensure that the hands that harvest the cocoa are adequately rewarded,” he emphasised.

The Chief Executive expressed gratitude to the WCF for the opportunity to host such a renowned global forum as an origin country. He revealed that COCOBOD will celebrate its 80th anniversary next year and will therefore collaborate with the WCF using the Partnership Meeting as a platform to mark some of the events. 

Dr. Mawuli Coffie, Country Director for the World Cocoa Foundation (Ghana and Nigeria), reaffirmed the foundation’s commitment to the future of cocoa. He indicated that the long-term future of the cocoa industry ultimately depends on whether farmers, particularly the youth, see a sustainable future in the cocoa sector. 

Dr. Coffie revealed that the 2027 meeting will be the first to be held in an origin country, indicating that the decision sends a strong message that the future resilience of cocoa must be shaped close to the farms and communities at the heart of the sector.

The World Cocoa Foundation Partnership meeting is an annual global convening of cocoa and chocolate industry leaders, governments, farmer organisations, civil societies, development partners and sustainability stakeholders for dialogue, alignment and collective action in the cocoa sector. 

The 2027 WCF Partnership Meeting will be held from 16th to 19th March 2027 at the Kempinski Gold Coast City Hotel in Accra. The meeting is expected to stimulate global dialogue on farmer well-being, to promote climate-smart agriculture and to create an environment for shared accountability.