Ghana has been selected to host the 2027 World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) Partnership Meeting in Accra, a landmark event expected to position the country at the centre of global discussions on the future of cocoa sustainability and resilience.
The meeting, scheduled for March 2027, is being welcomed by the government as a major recognition of Ghana’s leadership role in the global cocoa sector and Africa’s growing influence in shaping the industry’s future.
Speaking at the official announcement ceremony, the Deputy Minister of Finance, Mr Thomas Nyarko Ampem, stated the urgent need for reforms and sustainability across the global cocoa value chain, warning that the future of the chocolate industry depends on improving the livelihoods of cocoa farmers.
He noted that cocoa supports more than 50 million people worldwide and sustains a global chocolate industry valued at over US$100 billion annually.
The Deputy Minister also addressed mounting pressures confronting the cocoa industry, including climate change, crop diseases, environmental degradation, price volatility, and increasing demands for sustainability and traceability.
According to him, these challenges expose deep structural weaknesses within global cocoa economies and require coordinated international action.
He explained that the agenda represents one of the most ambitious transformation efforts undertaken in Ghana’s cocoa sector in recent decades, aimed at restoring financial discipline, strengthening governance, improving farmer support systems, increasing productivity, and expanding local cocoa processing.
The reforms, he said, are intended to help Ghana retain greater value from its cocoa industry while remaining competitive on the global market.
Mr Ampem further stated that the 2027 Partnership Meeting would serve as a platform to advance discussions on farmer prosperity, sustainability, innovation, resilience, and long-term value creation, while helping shape a new global cocoa compact.
He added that the event’s alignment with the Ghana Cocoa Board’s (COCOBOD) 80th anniversary and Ghana’s 70th independence anniversary celebrations would make the occasion even more significant.
Reaffirming Ghana’s readiness to host the event, Mr Ampem said the country remains committed to providing a platform for critical global conversations at a time when collaboration, innovation, and collective action are urgently needed in the cocoa sector.
The 2027 WCF Partnership Meeting is expected to bring together key stakeholders from across the global cocoa and chocolate industry to deliberate on critical issues such as climate resilience, farmer livelihoods, supply security, crop disease management, innovation, and long-term sustainability.
Deborah Narkie Nartey, ISD
