Yves Brahima Kone

Ivory Coast
Worried Ivorian cocoa traders turn to Ouattara for help

Local cocoa exporters are experiencing significant supply issues and may not manage to honour the contracts that expire when the main 2022-2023 harvest ends this month. Citing lack of action from the cocoa regulatory board, they are asking the president to step in.

The New Guard
Ivory Coast, Egypt, Kenya, Madagascar

Every Wednesday, Africa Intelligence spotlights a new generation of movers and shakers in business and politics. This week: Pauline Zei (Ivory Coast), Ahmed Luxor (Egypt), Veronica Kariuki (Kenya) and Ranto Andriambololona (Madagascar).

Ivory Coast Pauline Zei, spokeswoman for cocoa growers

Egypt Ahmed Luxor, a PR veteran putting Egypt's richest in the frame

Kenya Veronica Kariuki, a bridge between Paris and Nairobi

Madagascar Ranto Andriambololona, AI left, right and centre

Ivory Coast
Conseil Café Cacao resumes contact with World Bank

The Ivorian government is back in talks with the World Bank with a view to obtaining $300m in funding for industry regulator Conseil Café Cacao.

Ivory Coast
Power struggle between big business and Abidjan slows cocoa campaign

International traders and chocolate manufacturers are limiting purchases of cocoa beans in Ivory Coast. The local regulatory board is requiring them to acquire 20% from local exporters, and they are unable to find enough 'sustainable' material locally.

Ghana, Ivory Coast
Why West African producers snubbed World Cocoa Foundation meeting

The business and political leaders of Ivory Coast and Ghana's cocoa sectors did not attend the partnership meeting between the world's chocolate producers in Brussels this week. Their aim was to put pressure on European decision-makers working on new supply standards.

Spotlight | Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria
Cameroon and Nigeria's talks with cocoa cartel bear fruit

Details have emerged about Yaoundé et Abuja's talks in Abidjan to join the Ivory Coast-Ghana Cocoa Initiative, set up to defend the interests of the world's two largest cocoa producers.

Ivory Coast
Ivorian cocoa industry leaders receive last-minute invite to Johannesburg

A business forum is being organised in Johannesburg to promote partnerships between South Africa and Ivory Coast during Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara's South African visit of 18 to 22 July to his counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa.

West Africa
Abidjan and Accra allied against multinationals in new cocoa war

The heads of Ghana Cocobod and Ivory Coast's Conseil Café Cacao were in Accra last week to refine their joint strategy in the face of the industry's trading giants and industrialists, who are considering diversifying their supplies elsewhere.

Ivory Coast
Beijing hijacks Ouattara's 'cocoa revolution'

The Ivorian presidency is keen to spread the country's wings as a cocoa trader in its own right. But China has been quick to clip them.

Ivory Coast
Cacao giants battle with CCC, while 45,000 tonnes of beans wait outside Abidjan port

The head of the powerful coffee and cacao board Yves Brahima Koné has blocked over 1,200 cargos handled by Cargill, Olam and Barry Callebaut as a squabble over this season's cocoa price drags on.

Ivory Coast
RHDP bigwig Youssouf Soumahoro sparks ire with weights and measures monopoly

Côte d'Ivoire Métrologie, the company of former minister Youssouf Soumahoro which has a monopoly on weights and measures throughout the country, has outraged farmers and the business community by sending its prices through the roof.

Ivory Coast
Cocoa traders with RHDP ties given second chance for 2021 season

Though ignored by the Conseil Café Cacao on 11 September, cocoa traders close to the ruling RHDP have been given a second chance.