The Cameroonian government has endorsed a new partnership between a local cocoa cooperative and a Liechtenstein-based company to promote organic cocoa production, strengthen access to international markets and improve farmers' earnings. The agreement was signed on Monday, October 19, 2026, between the Ayos-based Unité Moderne de Production de Cacao d’Excellence (UMO.PRO.CAO.E.SCOOPS) and Protect First AG, under the government's CACAO BIO 1000 program.
The signing ceremony, chaired by Trade Minister Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, brought together the cooperative's Executive Council President, Mveng Ateba Sébastien, and Protect First AG's Chief Executive Officer, Ralf Van Deest. The partnership aims to develop a cocoa marketing model based on organic certification, Fair Trade standards and long-term commercial relationships with international buyers.
Under the arrangement, Protect First AG plans to promote cocoa grown using organic farming practices and market the beans under Fair Trade certification, with an emphasis on transparent revenue distribution across the supply chain.
According to Mveng Ateba, the agreement is designed to establish lasting commercial relationships among farmers, the cooperative, Protect First AG and international buyers, rather than relying on one-off transactions. The objective is to increase the commercial value of Cameroonian cocoa and improve the share of earnings reaching producers.
The Ayos cooperative was selected partly for its record in quality cocoa production. It previously won a bronze medal at an international cocoa competition in Amsterdam.
Cocoa Export Earnings Under Pressure
The initiative comes amid a decline in Cameroon's marketed cocoa production and exports. According to figures from the National Cocoa and Coffee Board (ONCC), Cameroon marketed 247,914 tons of cocoa during the 2025/2026 season, down 19.9% from 309,518 tons a year earlier.
Cocoa bean exports fell 34.7%, from 192,012 tons to 125,469 tons, while their value dropped to CFAF 400.9 billion from CFAF 1.07 trillion in the previous season.
Farmgate prices also fluctuated sharply. ONCC figures show that producers received between CFAF 700 and CFAF 4,300 per kilogram during the 2025/2026 season, compared with CFAF 3,210 to CFAF 5,400 a year earlier. The CACAO BIO 1000 program emphasizes product quality, traceability and certification to improve the market value of Cameroonian cocoa.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Minister Mbarga Atangana said the partnership aligns with government policy to strengthen agricultural competitiveness and improve producer remuneration. He also expressed the government's intention to encourage similar arrangements across the cocoa sector, extending their potential benefits to more farmers and cooperatives.
The minister reiterated Cameroon's ambition to maintain competitive producer prices, including prices at least twice those received by farmers in several other major cocoa-producing countries.
“Cameroonian cocoa remains at the top of the world, and today's ceremony is part of the process of consolidating and sustaining the gains achieved,” the minister concluded.
Mercy Fosoh