Can African Farmers Survive Crashing Cocoa Prices

Can African Farmers Survive Crashing Cocoa Prices

From Next Africa by Bloomberg

February 26, 2026 · 14 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the impact of falling cocoa prices on African farmers and the cocoa industry in West Africa.

Cocoa’s stunning rise and its equally remarkable slump are beginning to shake up the longstanding way of doing business in West Africa, the region that supplies the bulk of the world’s beans. On this week’s episode of the Next Africa Podcast, Bloomberg softcommodities reporter Mumbi Gitau joins Jennifer Zabasajja to discuss why cocoa prices have seen such a dramatic fall, how it’s changing the way cocoa regulators have to operate and why it’s leaving farmers in the world’s biggest cocoa producing countries worried. You can read Mumbi Gitau’s  reporting on cocoa here , and for more stories from the region, subscribe to the Next Africa newsletter here . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Host: Jennifer Zabasajja

Guest: Mumbi Gitau

Topics covered

  • cocoa prices
  • African farmers
  • West Africa
  • agriculture
  • economic impact

Keywords

  • cocoa
  • prices
  • farmers
  • West Africa
  • Bloomberg
  • agriculture
  • economic impact

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Bloomberg

Products: cocoa

Places: West Africa

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