Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire Urged to Speed Up Cocoa Sector Reforms or Risk Losing Global Market

Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire are facing renewed international pressure to fast-track long-promised cocoa sector reforms as the European Union and its French development partners warn that both countries could lose competitiveness under new global sustainability standards.

The call came at a two-day Cocoa4Future feedback workshop in Accra, where researchers presented extensive findings from a five-year EU- and AFD-funded project examining production systems, disease management, certification, farmer livelihoods and climate resilience in the world’s two largest cocoa producers.

European officials at the workshop stressed that agroforestry adoption remains too slow, deforestation continues to pose serious risks, and labour-related concerns must be fully addressed if West African cocoa is to remain admissible under the EU’s emerging sustainability regulations and tightening requirements from major chocolate manufacturers.

According to the research, widespread preference for low-shade or no-shade cocoa farming is undermining ecological stability and long-term productivity. While such systems often produce higher short-term yields, they leave cocoa farms more exposed to climate stress and degrade forest landscapes.

On disease control, researchers raised alarms over the persistent spread of Cocoa Swollen Shoot Disease, which is wiping out yields and threatening farm productivity across major growing regions.

They noted that the farmer-led techniques commonly used to manage the disease are largely ineffective, calling instead for stronger rehabilitation programmes, increased production of resistant planting material and improved farmer training.

Analysis of certification schemes revealed mixed outcomes. Fairtrade and organic programmes were found to significantly raise yields and income levels for participating farmers, yet challenges remain in improving food security, working conditions and access to stable markets.

Experts across the various study areas urged Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire to step up input distribution, strengthen cooperatives, boost extension services, expand access to affordable credit and address the longstanding challenge of unclear tree tenure rights.

They also recommended promoting hybrid cocoa varieties, accelerating agroforestry initiatives, and establishing stronger livelihood support systems for farmers.

Development partners say the recommendations now require urgent action as the global cocoa market shifts toward traceability, ethical sourcing and climate-resilient production. Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, they warn, risk falling significantly behind if reforms are further delayed.

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