Cocoa, International Trade and Innovation in Africa: Lessons from Ghana鈥檚 Evolving Supply Chain
Cocoa, International Trade and Innovation in Africa:
Lessons from Ghana鈥檚 Evolving Supply Chain
Cocoa is Africa鈥檚 most valuable agricultural export, and in 2024 the continent accounted for US$18.6 billion in cocoa and chocolate product exports within a global trade flow of US$89 billion. In West Africa, cocoa represents 52% of agricultural export value, and 45% in Central Africa, underscoring its central role in rural economies where agriculture remains the largest employer. Yet most value continues to be captured offshore due to export-oriented supply chains, limited industrial upgrading, and sustainability regulations that have become costly and restrictive rather than enabling competitiveness. Using Ghana鈥檚 structured supply chain as a reference, this talk explores deeper value-addition pathways鈥攏ot only beyond processing and chocolate manufacturing, but also through emerging nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and bio-based applications that can enhance incomes and strengthen Africa鈥檚 trade competitiveness.
Speaker
Fuad Abubakar Mohammed
Fuad Mohammed Abubakar is a cocoa and international trade professional with 18 years of experience across commodity trading, market intelligence, trade finance, crop analysis, and policy engagement in West Africa, Europe, and North America.
His work focuses on how African cocoa-producing economies can strengthen market access, expand internationally, and support innovation and value addition through strategic engagement with global markets. He brings deep practical expertise in cocoa pricing structures, sustainability and regulatory requirements, and the macroeconomic forces shaping global cocoa and agrifood trade.
Fuad operates at the intersection of trade, markets, and policy. He supports informed trading decisions, structured market entry, and initiatives that enhance Ghana鈥檚 cocoa brand positioning in both developed and emerging markets. His recent work also examines how trade frameworks and partnerships can improve investment readiness and downstream participation across Africa鈥檚 cocoa and agrifood value chains.
Fuad currently serves as Managing Head of Ghana Cocoa Marketing Company (UK) Ltd. (GCMC), the international marketing arm of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD). In this role, he leads market intelligence and trade-related analysis and oversees pre-export trade finance engagements with international partner banks. He maintains strong relationships with traders, manufacturers, financial institutions, development partners, and policymakers across Europe, North America, and Asia.
Earlier in his career, he worked as a Cocoa Trader and later as Head of Crop Analysis, building strong expertise in supply鈥揹emand fundamentals and price risk management. Alongside his industry role, Fuad is a Strategic Commodities Advisor at Anchora Advisory (USA) and a former Industrial Fellow at the Global Development Institute, University of Manchester.
He has co-authored academic and policy publications and holds an MSc in Local Economic Development, alongside executive education from Oxford University, the University of Cambridge, and Imperial College 糖心TV School, London.
Event Details
Date: 27 April 2026
Time: 12:30 - 13:30
Location: Scarman Space 11