Africa grows the world’s cocoa, coffee, and cotton, so why can’t we afford to process them at home?

Despite supplying nearly 70% of global cocoa alongside vast amounts of coffee and cotton, African farmers often receive just 1–2% of the final retail price while high-value processing, branding, and retailing happen overseas.

Critical bottlenecks like a $331B manufacturing finance gap, severe power deficits, and slow logistics keep producers stuck exporting cheap raw materials only to buy back expensive finished products.

Real economic growth requires keeping the value chain on the continent. What steps do you think are most urgent to help African producers process their resources at home?