Ivory Coast cocoa stock repurchase program faces scrutiny amid unaddressed farmer complaints

Six months after a global price collapse plunged the cocoa sector into crisis, Ivory Coast's 291 billion FCFA program to repurchase unsold cocoa stocks has officially concluded. However, many cooperatives claim they were unable to sell their beans, despite being identified in an inventory conducted by the Conseil du Café-cacao between January 15 and 18, 2026. The program was initiated after international cocoa prices plummeted by over 70% at the beginning of 2026, leading multinational corporations, which typically purchase 80% of the national production, to suspend their buying. This left thousands of Ivorian farmers with unsold harvests and lost income. The government responded by activating a stabilization fund to buy back 123,000 tons of inventoried beans from nearly 1,400 cooperatives. Of this, 21,000 tons were purchased by exporters before the program officially began, leaving approximately 102,000 tons for the fund. The Organisation Interprofessionnelle Agricole du secteur café-cacao OIA Café-Cacao was tasked with managing the repurchase, designating authorized cooperatives, and facilitating payments through the Conseil du Café-cacao. While the OIA states the program is complete, questions remain regarding why some identified cooperatives still possess unsold stock. An audit of the program's management and the 291 billion FCFA fund is deemed necessary to ensure transparency and accountability before the new cocoa season begins on September 1, 2026.