Ghana Introduces New Initiative to Enhance Sustainable Cocoa Production

Ghana has launched a new initiative to promote sustainable cocoa production in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Forestry Commission, and the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), with funding from the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).

This initiative marks Ghana’s entry into the third phase of the Green Commodities Programme (GCP III), building on the progress made since 2010 towards sustainable agricultural production.

The joint effort aims to drive meaningful change and promote environmentally friendly practices in Ghana’s agricultural sector.

Titled “Effective Collaborative Action for Sustainable Commodity Production and Trade,” the initiative aims to strengthen relations between the six Hotspot Intervention Areas (HIAs) and improve stakeholder effectiveness to combat deforestation and forest degradation, enhance farm resilience, increase cocoa farmers’ revenues, and reduce poverty.

The project will be part of the Ghana Cocoa Forest REDD+ Programme (GCFRP) Hotspot Intervention Area structure, promoting dialogue and collaborative action among cocoa sector stakeholders through a multi-stakeholder platform.

The Green Commodities Programme, a collaboration between SECO and UNDP, began in 2015 and originally focused on Peru (cocoa and coffee) and Indonesia (palm oil).

This third phase includes Brazil (soy and cattle), Ghana (cocoa), and Malaysia (palm oil). In Ghana, GCP III focuses on the cocoa production landscape, a vital sector for the country’s economy and environmental sustainability.

The initiative responds to the 2021 Glasgow World Leaders Declaration on Forests and Land Use, which aims to end deforestation by 2030. GCP Phase III incorporates multi-stakeholder collaboration to enhance the national, social, and environmental performance of agricultural commodity sectors.

This strategic partnership is expected to promote sustainable agriculture practices, support smallholder farmers, and help Ghana achieve its 2030 Agenda climate goals while maintaining its position as a leading cocoa producer.