The Alliance of Cocoa and Coffee Producers of Africa has appointed new leaders

The Cocoa and Coffee Producers Alliance of Africa (COCEFAAA) has expanded its continental leadership by appointing seven new executives. A corresponding statement was made by the association's global president, Adeola Adegoke. The personnel changes cover Ethiopia, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Ghana, and Cameroon.

The board of directors is joined by Dr. Lillian Kabondo Mbazumutima, a global public health specialist, and Raymond Katta, executive chairman of the Sierra Leone Produce Monitoring Board. Additionally, country directors have been appointed: Abel Ayele Bunaro, founder and managing director of BunAroma Specialty Coffee, will head Ethiopia; Jack Ndirangu, chairman of the Kahiraini Coffee Factory, will lead Kenya; and Didan Sankoh, director of operations and programs at the Produce Monitoring Board, will manage Sierra Leone.

The positions of deputy country directors have been taken by James Quarteng, co-founder of Apocco Farms Limited (Ghana), and Prince Mahamadu Mamodu Almed, president of the Meme Cocoa Buyers Association (MECOBA) (Cameroon).

As noted by Adeola Adegoke, the expansion of the leadership aims to strengthen the association's position on the continent, improve coordination among stakeholders, deepen work at the country level, and more effectively advocate for the interests of smallholder farmers engaged in growing cocoa and coffee.