Ghana cocoa sector faces living income and child protection challenges

Stakeholders in Ghana's cocoa sector are addressing critical economic and social challenges facing smallholder farmers. Fairtrade Africa has released its 2026 Living Income Reference Prices for Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire, which together provide approximately 60 percent of the global cocoa supply. This benchmark aims to establish transparent, evidence-based pricing targets to ensure farming households can earn a living income and mitigate the effects of market volatility.

Simultaneously, child protection remains a major concern within the industry. During a national stakeholder dialogue in Accra, SEND Ghana called for improved enforcement of laws to protect children from hazardous work on cocoa farms. The organization highlighted gaps in policy implementation that leave children exposed to risks, such as handling agrochemicals, which undermines their education and physical development.