Joseph Manna, a Cameroonian national, has been named head of cocoa operations for Olam Food Ingredients (OFI) in Côted'Ivoiree. The appointment we confirmed personally on August 7 marks a significant first for an African within the global agribusiness giant. Effective in February, it places the 53-year-old at the helm of OFI's largest cocoa division, overseeing a sector that drives nearly a quarter of the Ivorian economy. Côte d'Ivoire is the world's leading cocoa producer, with exports totaling 2.018 trillion CFA Francs in 2023. Manna, who took up his new post in Abidjan in June, now leads an organization with a workforce four times larger than OFICameroon's, plus thousands of seasonal laborers.

This promotion marks the culmination of a 26-year career at Olam International for Manna, who hails from Bali Nyonga in Cameroon's Northwest region. He started in 1999 as a quality inspector at the nascent Olam Cameroon, where he navigated muddy paths to inspect cocoa beans daily. His dedication and ambition quickly propelled him up the ranks. By 2001, he was a unit manager, then a branch supervisor in 2007, and a business controller in 2009. In his last role, he managed the strategic supply chain for cocoa and Arabica coffee across Cameroon's key production basins.

In 2016, Manna was promoted to Business Head of the cocoa division. Under his leadership, cocoa procurement grew to 40,000 tons annually. A year later, as Product Country Head for Cocoa, he restructured the supply model, secured commercial positions, and tightened quality control standards. His work paid off, and in 2019, he was named a Vice President within the Olam Group.

A major corporate restructuring in 2020 saw the creation of OFI. Manna was appointed Country Head of OFI Cameroon, becoming the first Cameroonian to hold the position. He oversaw all operations, drove growth strategy, and ensured fiscal compliance. As a result, direct cocoa sourcing soared from 40,000 to over 70,000 tons, cementing OFI's position as one of Cameroon's top two cocoa exporters. The company also became one of the country's 25 largest taxpayers.

Beyond volumes, Manna championed the quality of Cameroonian cocoa, which had long been considered a weakness in international markets. Collaborating with local authorities and industry stakeholders, he launched ambitious programs to elevate the country's standards to match those of global leaders, such as Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana. In five years, certified cocoa volumes increased from 3,000 to over 30,000 tons, supported by a network of over 20,000 accredited producers. This effort has injected more than 800 million CFA Francs in premiums annually into cocoa communities over the past three years. Manna's leadership and operational excellence have earned him multiple internal awards. In 2017, the World Bank recognized his expertise with a certificate for his contribution to the"Enabling the Business of Agriculture" report. His rigorous focus on compliance also brought accolades to OFI Cameroon. At the 2023 Cameroon Customs Stakeholders Night, the company was named the third-largest exporter and received a special distinction for the highest export growth in 2022. The following year, the Port of Douala and the RTC recognized the firm as the leading exporter of cocoa beans. 

Despite his ascent, Manna remains grounded, cultivating his own cocoa trees to stay connected to the land. JosephpManna's new role at OFI in Côte d'Ivoire presents a significant challenge. The company processes up to 350,000 tons of cocoa annually—a figure that surpasses Cameroon's entire 2024 production. With two processing plants handling 166,000 tons of beans annually, OFI is a major player in the country, competing with other giants, such as Barry Callebaut. A key advantage of Europe's new deforestation regulations is that half of OFI's cocoa volumes in Côte d'Ivoire are already certified. Manna's appointment sends a clear signal: OFI is banking on local experience and African leadership to strengthen its presence in the world's largest cocoa market. His journey continues, one bean at a time, from the farms where he started to the top ranks of the industry.

Baudouin Enama