Ghana cocoa farmers face economic pressure amid deforestation concerns

Ghanaian cocoa farmers are facing significant economic pressures that complicate efforts to combat deforestation. While new European regulations aim to curb forest loss, experts argue that market restrictions and certification alone are insufficient if the underlying economic realities of farming are not addressed.

Prof. Winston Adams Asante of KNUST noted that many farmers rely on cocoa for approximately 80% of their income. Low productivity and limited alternative livelihoods often drive farmers to expand into protected forest areas to increase earnings. This issue is compounded by illegal gold mining, known as ‘galamsey’, which has reportedly destroyed nearly 9,000 hectares of Ghana’s legally protected forest reserves.

Farmers are also being drawn away from cocoa by the immediate cash offers provided by illegal miners. The combination of low cocoa returns and the expansion of mining poses a dual threat to both the environment and the stability of the cocoa sector.