Ivory Coast Cocoa Farmer Pulls Son From University as Iran War Lifts Input Costs
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 23
Ivory Coast Cocoa Farmer Pulls Son From University as Iran War Lifts Input Costs
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 23
Summary
Michel Bla, a 52-year-old cocoa farmer near Divo, says he withdrew his eldest son from university after surging costs and weaker cocoa income drained the family’s cash.
The squeeze intensified after the US-Israel war on Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, pushing up prices for fertilizer, pesticides, food and energy in poor importing countries.
Bla can no longer afford fertilizer, his cocoa trees are withering, and plans to drill a well and buy solar panels have been shelved as the household still relies on river water.
The setback follows last year’s global cocoa price slump, showing how a distant war is compounding an existing farm-income shock in Ivory Coast.
With cocoa prices crashing 70%, why are farmers going broke while consumers still pay more for chocolate?
As a new war chokes global fertilizer supply, what can prevent a worldwide hunger crisis for millions?
Trapped between market chaos and war, can new fair-trade rules truly save the world's smallholder farmers?
Ivory Coast’s Cocoa Crisis: 57% Price Cuts, Unsold Beans, and the Global Ripple Effect
Overview
Ivory Coast, the world’s top cocoa producer, is facing a major crisis in 2026 as unsold cocoa beans pile up in warehouses and even dry on tarps in town squares. This visible oversupply signals deep trouble for the country’s vital cocoa sector. The Coffee and Cocoa Council, which manages the industry, has dismissed concerns about the scale of unsold stocks but hasn’t provided clear data, raising questions about transparency. As storage issues worsen, farmers struggle with falling prices and disrupted incomes, highlighting the urgent need for better crisis management and support for cocoa communities.