At the United Nations Cocoa Conference 2026, held at the Palais des Nations on February 13, Côte d'Ivoire reaffirmed its leadership position. Aly Touré , Permanent Representative of Côte d'Ivoire and spokesperson for cocoa-exporting countries, was elected President of the Conference. He used this platform to place the financial dignity of farmers at the heart of global discussions.

The producer: An essential but vulnerable link

With a powerful statement, Aly Touré reiterated a fundamental truth: "Without the producers, there would be no cocoa industry and no chocolate." Despite this central role, the sector is currently threatened by a series of crises:

1. Environmental crisis: Climate change and wood diseases.
2. Structural crisis: Aging plantations and low productivity.
3. Economic barriers: Difficulties in accessing financing and tariff obstacles to exports.

The 2026 Agreement: Towards Real Sustainability

The Ivorian diplomat presented the new International Cocoa Agreement (2026) as a much more ambitious tool than the 2010 agreement. This framework aims to transform the sector into a sustainable global economy through four strategic pillars:

Pillar	Main objective
Vital Income	To guarantee fair and remunerative prices for growers.
Added Value	Encourage local processing of beans in the countries of origin.
Free Access	Reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers.
Radiation	Expanding the circle of ICCO members for greater stability.

A call for immediate action

The ambassador urged member states to ratify this new agreement quickly so that it can enter into force. While two signatures are technically sufficient, Aly Touré stressed that massive mobilization is essential to guarantee the organization's financial stability and, by extension, that of millions of producers.