Resilient cocoa sector impossible without resilient farmers — Researcher

Dr. Albert A. Arhin, a researcher at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), has called for cocoa policies in Ghana to focus not only on production and yields but also on the health and wellbeing of cocoa farmers.

Speaking at a policy and research breakfast meeting on producer‑focused climate policy in Accra, Dr Arhin said a resilient cocoa sector cannot be achieved without resilient farmers.

Findings from a recent study conducted in cocoa‑growing communities in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire showed that climate change is affecting both cocoa production and the farmers themselves. The study engaged more than 1,000 cocoa farmers across the two countries, with about 500 Ghanaian farmers participating in quantitative surveys while others took part in qualitative interviews.

Farmers expressed concerns that although much attention has been placed on increasing productivity and addressing storage decline, insufficient attention is being paid to the impact of climate change on their health, labour capacity and overall wellbeing.

“The impact of climate change is not only on the cocoa tree but also on the producer himself. If the producer is not resilient, we cannot have a resilient cocoa sector,” Dr Arhin stated.

He noted that farmers believed their concerns were often ignored despite engagements through cooperatives, civil society organisations and other structures, and that they continued to raise concerns over poor roads, low producer prices and unfulfilled promises affecting their livelihoods.

The researcher said cocoa production in Ghana has declined from an average of about 800,000 tonnes to nearly 600,000 tonnes, stressing that focusing solely on productivity interventions would not be enough to reverse the trend.

The study revealed that labour shortages, farmer health challenges and reduced time spent on farms due to climate‑related conditions are all contributing to declining cocoa yields.

Dr Arhin urged government policies to incorporate measures aimed at protecting farmers’ health, improving their welfare and strengthening their resilience to climate shocks.

He added that adopting the recommendations from the research could lead to significant transformation within Ghana’s cocoa sector.

Mr. Jose Lopez Ganem, Executive Director of the Institute for Cacao and Chocolate Research, called for stronger investment in healthcare and infrastructure for cocoa farmers, pointing to Taiwan’s model where injured farmers can see a doctor within 24 hours at relatively low cost.

“Linking farming to health in a successful manner is not impossible,” Ganem stressed, noting that deliberate government investment in social systems that support agricultural communities can achieve this.

He also underscored the importance of road infrastructure and transportation systems in improving access to healthcare and other essential services for rural farmers, and called for broader discussions on climate resilience to include investments in healthcare systems, rural infrastructure and transportation as part of efforts to protect farmers and sustain cocoa production.