Olasunkanmi Owoyemi,<\/a> Managing Director at SGC\u2013SunBeth Global Concepts, who offered a candid look at the sector\u2019s pain points \u2014 and potential.<\/p>\n\u201cThe biggest challenge remains access to affordable credit,\u201d said Owoyemi. \u201cWithout financing, farmers can\u2019t invest in better tools, practices, or even proper storage, which impacts quality and income.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sustainability also remains a concern, with child labour and gender inequality still widespread in cocoa-producing communities. Owoyemi highlighted how SGC is tackling this through women\u2019s empowerment programs, education support, and transparent sourcing.<\/p>\n
\ud83d\udcc8 East Africa Surges Ahead with Nearly 6% Growth<\/p>\n
While the continent collectively anticipates a 4% growth in 2025, East Africa is racing ahead, posting a projected 5.9% growth rate \u2014 among the highest in the world.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s driving this boom? A mix of factors:<\/p>\n
Investment in infrastructure and energy<\/p>\n
Booming sectors in technology, fintech, and tourism<\/p>\n
Improved regional trade through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)<\/p>\n
Countries like Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania are spearheading the momentum. Experts note that policy consistency, public-private partnerships, and macroeconomic stability are helping the region defy global headwinds.<\/p>\n
\u2615 Central African Republic\u2019s Coffee Sector: Holding On Amid Adversity<\/p>\n
In the Central African Republic, coffee was once a lifeline for thousands of families. Today, the industry is hanging by a thread, battered by insecurity, cross-border smuggling, and lack of government support.<\/p>\n
Many growers have been forced to abandon their farms due to armed conflict and falling prices. Yet, in towns like Boali and Berb\u00e9rati, a few resilient producers continue to cultivate, hoping for international partnerships and a return to peace.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe grow because we believe coffee can still be a path to dignity,\u201d said one farmer.<\/p>\n
International aid, institutional reform, and agritech investment could help revive this forgotten sector \u2014 but time is running out.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\ud83c\udf6b Cocoa Farming in Crisis: Is Financing the Missing Link? West Africa produces nearly 70% of the world\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8231,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[84,1294,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-8230","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-economy","tag-business","tag-economy","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8230","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8230"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8230\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8231"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8230"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8230"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8230"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}