EU launches US$2.3M deforestation-free cocoa project in Ghana
The European Union partners with Ghanaian organizations to promote sustainable cocoa farming and ensure compliance with deforestation-free trade standards.
GHANA – The European Union (EU) has initiated a three-year program in Ghana to promote sustainable, traceable, and deforestation-free cocoa production in line with the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
According to a statement from the EU mission in Ghana, the new initiative, dubbed the “Deforestation-Free Cocoa Project”, will be implemented by a consortium of four civil society organizations specializing in forest governance. These include Solidaridad West Africa, Tropenbos Ghana, Taylor Crabbe Initiative, and Rights & Advocacy Initiatives Network (RAIN).
Funded with a budget of €2 million (US$2.3 million), of which 99% is provided by the EU, the project aims to directly assist about 5,000 cocoa farmers across Ghana. It also seeks to rehabilitate over 1,000 hectares of aging cocoa farms through the integration of agroforestry systems between 2025 and 2028.
The interventions will focus on 60 communities located in the Sefwi-Wiawso, Asunafo-Asutifi, and Juaboso-Bia districts in northwestern Ghana.
Eric Agare, Country Representative for Solidaridad Ghana, stated that the program’s objective is to prevent cocoa-driven deforestation by promoting sustainable intensification and encouraging alternative income-generating ventures for farmers.
Deforestation remains a major challenge in West Africa’s cocoa sector. A 2023 report published in Nature Food revealed that cocoa farming contributed to the loss of approximately 386,000 hectares of forest within protected areas in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire between 2000 and 2020.
The EU Deforestation Regulation, expected to be fully enforced by the end of 2025, will restrict imports of agricultural commodities, including cocoa, that originate from deforested land. Ensuring compliance is crucial for Ghana, as the EU remains its largest cocoa export destination.
Data from TradeMap shows that Ghana earned nearly US$2.9 billion from cocoa and cocoa-derived exports in 2024, with 58% of the revenue coming from EU markets.
Ghana, the world’s second-largest cocoa producer after Côte d’Ivoire, recorded an estimated 500,000 tons of cocoa output in the 2024/25 season, one of its lowest in recent years due to adverse weather, crop diseases, and the effects of illegal mining.
However, production is projected to exceed the government’s target of 650,000 metric tons in the 2025/26 season, supported by favorable weather and rehabilitation programs. The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has reaffirmed its commitment to providing farmers with fertilizers and inputs, while the government has increased the farmgate price to 58,000 cedis (US$4,640) per ton to sustain farmer livelihoods.
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