Sao paulo: Four of Africa's leading cocoa-producing nations-Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, and Cameroon-have agreed to strengthen cooperation to reduce the export of raw cocoa beans and promote local processing as part of efforts to increase the continent's share of the global cocoa value chain. According to Cameroon News Agency, the commitment was announced during the World Cocoa Foundation Partnership Meeting in So Paulo, Brazil, where representatives of the four countries called for greater value addition through the production of cocoa butter, cocoa powder, chocolate, and other finished products within Africa. The initiative aims to create jobs, increase export earnings, improve farmers' incomes, and give African producers greater influence over global cocoa pricing. The countries also stressed that Africa should no longer remain a major exporter of raw cocoa while most of the profits from processed cocoa products are earned elsewhere. The move builds on existing regional cooperation in the cocoa sect or and signals a long-term commitment by the four countries to strengthen their processing industries and maximize the economic benefits of one of Africa's most valuable agricultural commodities.
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