COCEFAAA appoints new directors to strengthen cocoa, coffee farmers’ interests

The Cocoa and Coffee Farmers Alliance Association of Africa (COCEFAAA) has appointed some stakeholders to its Board of Directors and country leadership positions to strengthen the representation and protection of cocoa and coffee farmers across West, East and Central Africa.

In a statement made available to Vanguard AgroBiz, Global President of the association, Comrade Adeola Adegoke, announced that the appointments include two Board Members, three Country Directors and two Deputy Country Directors, with representatives from Ethiopia, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Ghana and Cameroon.

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The new appointees are Dr Liliane Kabondo Mbazumutima, a global public health leader, and Mr Raymond Katta, Executive Chairman of the Sierra Leone Produce Monitoring Board, both appointed as Board Members.

Others are Mr Abel Ayele Bunaro, Founder and Managing Director of BunAroma Specialty Coffee, appointed Country Director for Ethiopia; Mr Jack Ndirangu, Chairman of Kahiraini Coffee Factory, as Country Director for Kenya; and Mr Didan Sankoh, Director of Operations and Programmes at the Sierra Leone Produce Monitoring Board, as Country Director for Sierra Leone.

The association also appointed Mr James Kwarteng, Co-founder of Apocco Farms Limited, as Deputy Country Director for Ghana, while Prince Mahamadou Mamouda Almed, President of the Meme Cocoa Buyers Association (MECOBA), was named Deputy Country Director for Cameroon.

Commenting on the development, Adegoke said they were intended to reinforce the association’s commitment to protecting the rights and interests of cocoa and coffee producers across the continent.

He said: “This is to reinforce the commitment of the organisation to protect the rights and interests of our producers in cocoa and coffee sectors across the West, East and Central Africa in order to optimise their productivity, build sustainability in their activities, guarantee quality assurance, ensure their resilience and expand their incomes through fair pricing.”