African cocoa farmers could lose access to the European Union market if they fail to meet new deforestation and traceability requirements, with the Cocoa and Coffee Farmers Alliance Association of Africa (COCEFAAA) warning that up to 40% of the continent’s smallholder cocoa farmers could be affected.
The warning was raised at the Africa Cocoa and Coffee Conference held in Lagos on October 7 and 8, 2026, where industry stakeholders called for greater African participation in shaping international trade policies and more financial and technical support for farmers.
The concerns centre on the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which requires cocoa, coffee and other covered commodities entering the EU market to be produced legally and without deforestation after December 31, 2020.
According to the European Commission, the regulation will apply to large and medium-sized operators from December 30, 2026, while most micro and small operators will have until June 30, 2027.
Under the rules, businesses must establish the origin of covered commodities and provide geolocation information linking products to the land where they were produced.
For African smallholder farmers, meeting these requirements could prove expensive and technically demanding.
Many lack access to digital mapping tools, formal land documentation and the systems needed to track produce through complex supply chains. Farmers operating outside cooperatives may face additional difficulties because they often have limited access to training, funding and institutional support.
COCEFAAA warned that these barriers could leave vulnerable producers unable to supply European buyers, even where their farming practices meet the regulation’s environmental objectives.
The financial implications could be substantial. West Africa accounts for a significant share of global cocoa production, while Nigeria has an estimated 300,000 cocoa farmers, most of whom operate on a small scale.
The conference’s warning also raises concerns about the distribution of compliance costs across the cocoa value chain. Without assistance, farmers could bear expenses they cannot absorb, while larger exporters and multinational companies with established traceability systems would be better positioned to retain access to the European market.
Stakeholders warned that the resulting imbalance could deepen inequalities in the industry and disproportionately affect women, young people and small businesses.
To address these concerns, participants adopted the Lagos Declaration 2026, outlining proposals aimed at protecting African producers and strengthening their position in global cocoa and coffee markets.
The proposals include reserving the terms “cocoa” and “coffee” for products grown through farming, advocating mandatory labelling of cell-cultured products through the Codex Alimentarius system, and introducing a proposed 1% adaptation levy on revenue from cell-cultured products to support African smallholder farmers.
The conference also called for stronger regional standards and traceability systems that account for African land-tenure arrangements and farming conditions. The African Organisation for Standardisation could play a role in aligning regional frameworks with applicable EU requirements.
For Nigeria and other African cocoa-producing countries, the challenge is to help farmers meet the new standards without losing access to a major export destination.
COCEFAAA urged governments, development partners and industry participants to provide adequate financial and technical assistance, simplify compliance procedures where permitted and strengthen cooperative-based traceability systems.
The effectiveness of the EUDR will depend not only on its environmental safeguards but also on whether African producers receive the support needed to comply. Without inclusive implementation, the regulation could create new barriers for the smallholders whose livelihoods depend on international cocoa and coffee markets.
