Accra: Cocoa farmers have urged the Government to delay assent to the Ghana Cocoa Board Bill, 2026, pending wider consultations. The Ghana Cooperative Cocoa Farmers and Marketing Association Limited expressed concerns that some provisions of the legislation could affect farmers seeking alternative uses for cocoa farms that have become economically unproductive.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr Moses Djan Asiedu, Administrator of the Association, stated that while the organisation supports measures to protect cocoa farms and sustain the cocoa sector, some provisions of the Bill require further review and public education. 'We have told COCOBOD that they should ask the President to hold on with the assent because there are issues of concern. The farmers do not understand the law fully, and there should be more engagement,' he said.
The Association's concerns center on provisions that grant protected status to cocoa farms and restrict their conversion to other uses without approval from the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD). Mr Asiedu highlighted that inadequate understanding of the legislation among farmers could heighten uncertainty, particularly in communities where cocoa production has become difficult due to declining yields and other farm-level challenges.
He explained that information reaching farmers through social media and radio discussions has been fragmented, contributing to concerns about the criminal implications of removing cocoa trees. 'What they have heard is that if you cut down cocoa, you will be arrested. That is how it has been presented, and it has created anger among farmers,' he stated.
Mr Asiedu reported that the Association had engaged with farmers in Enchi, Dadieso, Asawinso, and Sefwi in the Western North Region, where concerns were raised about how the legislation could affect their livelihoods and land-use decisions. Some farmers are particularly concerned about the treatment of farms that have ceased to be commercially productive and whether replacing cocoa with other crops in such circumstances could expose them to prosecution.
'Nobody wakes up and cuts down cocoa trees just like that. Farmers invest their lifetime in cocoa. But when a farm is no longer yielding and a farmer decides to cultivate another crop to sustain the family, why should that become a criminal offence?' Mr Asiedu questioned.
The Ghana Cocoa Board Bill, 2026, which was passed by Parliament on July 30, is awaiting presidential assent. The legislation grants protected status to all cocoa farms and prohibits their conversion to other uses without approval from COCOBOD. It also prohibits the destruction of cocoa trees except under approved rehabilitation programmes.
The Bill further prohibits mining, sand winning, and other extractive or environmentally harmful activities on protected cocoa farms or within 500 metres of such farms. Individuals engaged in illegal extractive activities affecting protected cocoa farms or nearby water bodies could face prison terms of between 10 and 20 years, fines for each affected cocoa tree, or both. The courts may also order the restoration of damaged farms or compensation for affected owners.
The proposed legislation comes against the backdrop of concerns over the loss of cocoa-growing areas to illegal mining and other competing land uses, with implications for the sustainability of cocoa production and farmer livelihoods. The Government has stated that the Bill is intended to curb the increasing loss of cocoa farms to illegal mining and other competing land uses and safeguard the long-term sustainability of Ghana's cocoa sector.