# Fairtrade Africa cocoa living income initiatives > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/fairtrade-africa-cocoa-living-income-initiatives > Updated: 2026-08-31T15:11:54.000Z. Sources: 3. Developments: 2. Fairtrade Africa is advocating for industry-wide collaboration to address the living income gap facing cocoa farmers in West Africa. The organization highlighted the financial strain on smallholder farmers caused by rising production costs and declining global cocoa prices. During the Change Day 2026 event in Accra, the organization introduced new Living Income Reference Prices for Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. These benchmarks are intended to help bridge the gap between current farm-gate pricing and the income necessary for households to achieve a living wage. In Ghana, the reference price was set at GH¢45.40 per kilogramme (approximately US$3.95), a 10 per cent increase. In Côte d’Ivoire, the price was set at 1,758 CFA francs per kilogramme (approximately US$3.11), representing a 47 per cent increase. Benjamin Kouame, the Immediate Past Board Chair of Fairtrade Africa, stated that the objective is to implement economic models that return financial benefits directly to farmers and workers to support community development and resilience. ## Timeline ### 2026-08-31: Fairtrade Africa urges cocoa industry to close living income gap Fairtrade Africa is urging the cocoa industry to collaborate on closing the living income gap for farmers, introducing new reference prices in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire to improve livelihoods. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/fairtrade-africa-urges-cocoa-industry-to-close-living-income-gap ### 2026-08-20: Fairtrade Africa to host Change Day 2026 in Accra Fairtrade Africa will host Change Day 2026 in Accra to address cocoa price volatility and implement new living income reference prices for farmers in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/fairtrade-africa-to-host-change-day-2026-in-accra --- Cite as: Fairtrade Africa cocoa living income initiatives. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/fairtrade-africa-cocoa-living-income-initiatives