COCEFAAA Shuffles Leadership to Bolster Cocoa and Coffee Sector Representation

The Cocoa and Coffee Farmers Alliance Association of Africa has announced a strategic restructuring of its leadership tier, appointing new directors to its Board of Directors and key country positions. The organizational changes are designed to reinforce the representation and protection of cocoa and coffee producers across West, East, and Central Africa. Global President Comrade Adeola Adegoke released the official statement detailing the appointments to Vanguard AgroBiz, highlighting a pan-African scope that spans multiple key agricultural economies on the continent.

The newly unveiled appointments include two distinct Board Members alongside three Country Directors and two Deputy Country Directors. The diverse roster draws from industry leadership across Ethiopia, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Ghana, and Cameroon. Dr Liliane Kabondo Mbazumutima, a global public health leader, and Mr Raymond Katta, Executive Chairman of the Sierra Leone Produce Monitoring Board, have both assumed positions as Board Members. These additions bring institutional governance expertise directly into the upper echelons of the association's continental framework.

Operational leadership at the national level has also seen targeted placements. Mr Abel Ayele Bunaro, Founder and Managing Director of BunAroma Specialty Coffee, takes up the role of Country Director for Ethiopia. Mr Jack Ndirangu, Chairman of Kahiraini Coffee Factory, steps in as Country Director for Kenya, while Mr Didan Sankoh, Director of Operations and Programmes at the Sierra Leone Produce Monitoring Board, assumes the Country Director portfolio for Sierra Leone. Supporting these offices are Mr James Kwarteng, Co-founder of Apocco Farms Limited, as Deputy Country Director for Ghana, and Prince Mahamadou Mamouda Almed, President of the Meme Cocoa Buyers Association, as Deputy Country Director for Cameroon.

According to Comrade Adegoke, the leadership refresh is directly intended to reinforce the organization's foundational mandate. The overarching objectives focus on protecting the rights and interests of producers within the cocoa and coffee value chains. Leadership aims to utilize this strengthened operational structure to optimize productivity, build lasting sustainability in farming activities, guarantee stringent quality assurance, enhance producer resilience, and ultimately expand incomes through fair pricing mechanisms across the targeted regions.

Why This Matters

Leadership structures within major agricultural alliances dictate how effectively primary producers can interface with regional and global markets. By incorporating seasoned public health authorities, regulatory executives, and specialty enterprise founders into its governance framework, the association is positioning its leadership to better navigate complex regulatory environments and supply chain pressures. This governance depth directly influences how policy positions are advocated and how localized production challenges are communicated to international trade partners.

Strengthening representation across multiple key jurisdictions creates vital operational channels for addressing common agricultural vulnerabilities. Producers across West, East, and Central Africa frequently contend with fluctuating commodity prices and rigorous compliance demands. Aligning leadership across diverse producing nations fosters greater coherence in quality assurance standards and sustainability frameworks. This institutional alignment is critical for safeguarding producer revenues and reinforcing the resilience of agricultural value chains against external market shocks.

Opportunities

• Agricultural Input Suppliers: Direct engagement with newly appointed country directors to supply certified fertilizers, sustainable farming equipment, and disease-management technologies to organized producer networks.
• Specialty Exporters: Strategic partnerships with regional leadership figures to source high-grade specialty coffee and cocoa directly from empowered producer cooperatives in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Cameroon.
• Development Finance Institutions: Collaboration opportunities with the newly expanded board to structure targeted financing facilities focused on yield optimization and income diversification for smallholder farmers.
• Logistics and Supply Chain Operators: Contractual engagements with produce monitoring boards and agricultural associations to streamline transportation, storage, and traceability operations across West and East Africa.

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