Ivory Coast’s cocoa board is weighing a shift to quarterly price reviews for the farmgate cocoa price that farmers receive domestically. The move follows a steep decline in world cocoa prices that has squeezed margins for producers and threatened the competitiveness of West Africa’s beans in global markets. Officials hope more frequent adjustments will keep local rates aligned with volatile export values and significantly protect farmer livelihoods.

Exporters have watched the price slump erode revenues, prompting buyers in Europe and North America to renegotiate contracts or seek cheaper alternatives. By tightening the review cycle, the Ivory Coast government aims to signal stability to international traders, preserving its share of the roughly 40% of global cocoa supply that originates from the country.

Farmers, however, warn that more frequent price changes could add administrative burdens and uncertainty to their budgeting. Trade groups are pressing the board to pair any new schedule with transparent methodology, ensuring adjustments reflect real‑time market data rather than periodic averages. The policy debate underscores how tightly the West African economy is tied to cocoa’s volatile price swings.