Discontent persists within the Ivorian cocoa sector. Meeting at a press conference this Thursday, May 14, 2026, in Cocody, the Platform for Citizen Engagement in Côte d'Ivoire (PEC-CI) , comprising 37 civil society organizations, took a stand. Its president, Ebrin Yao Rémi , officially called for a thorough audit of the regulatory body: the Coffee and Cocoa Council.

A price reversal deemed abrupt

At the heart of this anger: the vertiginous fall in the purchase price for producers. While President Alassane Ouattara had raised immense hopes by setting the price at 2,800 FCFA/kg , the government announced, on March 4th, a return to 1,200 FCFA/kg .

This 57% drop is perceived as a betrayal by the rural community. For PEC-CI, this gap between campaign promises and market realities highlights the authorities' inability to protect farmers.

The flaws in a system highlighted

Ebrin Yao Rémi did not mince words regarding the management of the sector:

1. Lack of anticipation: Civil society believes that the government and the Coffee-Cocoa Council have failed in their role as a shield.
2. Structural injustice: According to the platform, growers are excluded from profits when global prices soar, but are the first to suffer the repercussions during declines.
3. Financial opacity: The president of PEC-CI openly questions the use of the levies collected on each sale. Where does the money intended for stabilization go?

"The government and the Coffee and Cocoa Council, which should have been anticipating and supporting the farmers, have failed." — Ebrin Yao Rémi, President of PEC-CI.

The call for transparency

Faced with this crisis, the PEC-CI is no longer content with verbal protests. It is now demanding official accountability.

The organization recommends a comprehensive audit of the sector in order to:

1. Identify the real causes of the failure of the stabilization system.
2. Clearly define responsibilities within the Coffee-Cocoa Council.
3. Shedding light on the management of funds collected from producers.

This departure from civil society comes in a tense social climate, where the future of the country's main source of wealth seems more uncertain than ever.