As US pursues mine deals, Xi warns African resources are not tools for ‘rivalry’
Chinese President Xi Jinping warned that Africa’s resources should not be used as a tool for geopolitical rivalry, as the United States steps up efforts to secure critical minerals on a continent where Chinese companies have major mining interests. “Africa’s resources belong to Africa,” Xi told Botswana’s President Duma Boko in Beijing on Tuesday, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua. He…
The Coffee Farmers Alliance Association of Africa (COCEFAAA) has issued a warning that up to 40% of African smallholder cocoa farmers may be excluded from the European market due to their inability to meet the requirements of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). This regulation aims to prevent commodities entering the EU from contributing to deforestation.
COCEFAAA's Global President, Adeola Adegoke, raised this concern during the Africa Cocoa and Coffee Conference in Lagos. He highlighted the challenges faced by smallholder farmers, particularly those lacking the necessary financial resources, technology, and documentation systems to comply with the regulation's traceability standards.
Adegoke stressed the need for African cocoa-producing countries to enhance their negotiating positions and improve traceability systems to shield farmers from potential disruptions in international trade. The conference also addressed the emergence of cell-cultured cocoa technologies and their potential impact on traditional cocoa-producing communities.
Participants adopted the Lagos Declaration 2026, a set of commitments aimed at improving farmers' livelihoods, boosting productivity, and increasing African ownership of the cocoa and coffee industries. Key issues discussed included reserving the terms "cocoa" and "coffee" for farmed products, advocating mandatory "Cell-Cultured Product" labeling at the Codex Alimentarius, and proposing a one percent adaptation levy on revenues from cell-cultured products to support smallholder farmers through the Common Fund for Commodities.
The Lagos Declaration 2026 also emphasizes the need for stronger cooperation among African cocoa- and coffee-producing countries to ensure the continent has a greater voice in shaping international trade policies and standards.
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