Ghana Parliament passes tough cocoa farm protection law
Ghana's parliament passed a bill that could send cocoa farmers to prison for up to 20 years if they convert their farms to other uses without government approval, according to a copy of the bill seen by The Associated Press.
The measure was passed Thursday, July 30, but the contents of the law were not made public until late Sunday, August 2. President John Mahama has not yet signed the legislation.
The bill would grant all cocoa farms protected status, making it a criminal offense to repurpose them for anything else without authorization, a provision that has drawn criticism from farmers.
"If the law stands as it is now, it's not fair," said Moses Djan Asiedu, administrator of the Ghana Cooperative Cocoa Farmers and Marketing Association Limited and a cocoa farmer himself.
Asiedu said many farmers invest their own money to acquire land, clear it and maintain cocoa farms for years before earning any income, yet receive little government support. "If cocoa is a national asset, then the farmer should also be supported to cover some of the cost of production," he said.
The toughest penalties in the bill target illegal gold mining on cocoa land, carrying a prison sentence of between 10 and 20 years along with a heavy fine for each affected cocoa tree.
Hundreds of thousands of farmers across West Africa rely on cocoa farming for their livelihood. In neighboring Ivory Coast, cocoa bean exports account for 40% of total export revenue; in Ghana, they make up nearly 15%.
Government regulators set a fixed price for cocoa beans at the start of every planting season, and most beans are sold through government-licensed parties to shield farmers from international price fluctuations.
However, after a surge in cocoa futures in 2024, prices in international markets rose to more than $12,000 per metric ton, the highest in decades, before crashing to around $4,000 as supply outstripped demand.
(Sourced through PTI)
