Cocoa Farmers Push Back as New Land-Use Rules Await Mahama’s Assent

ACCRA, Ghana — Ghana’s cocoa farmers are raising concerns over parts of the newly passed Ghana Cocoa Board Bill, 2026, particularly provisions that would restrict how cocoa farmland can be converted to other uses.

The legislation has already been approved by Parliament but is not yet in force, as it is awaiting President John Dramani Mahama’s assent.

The debate has intensified as farmers seek clarification on how the proposed restrictions would affect them, especially when cocoa farms become diseased, unproductive or require rehabilitation.

What the New Cocoa Bill Seeks to Do

The Ghana Cocoa Board Bill, 2026 is intended to replace the existing legal framework governing COCOBOD and introduce reforms across Ghana’s cocoa industry.

One of its major features is the proposed protection of cocoa farms from conversion to other uses.

The measure is partly aimed at preventing the destruction of cocoa farms through activities such as illegal mining, which has become a major threat to cocoa production in several parts of Ghana.

The proposed framework would require approval from COCOBOD before protected cocoa farmland could be converted for another use.

The legislation also contains severe penalties for violations, including fines and potential prison sentences of up to 20 years in certain cases.

Why Are Cocoa Farmers Concerned?

Farmer representatives have generally supported the objective of protecting cocoa farmland.

However, they want greater clarity over how the restrictions would work in practice.

One concern relates to farms that have become diseased or commercially unproductive.

Farmers want to know whether they would have sufficient flexibility to rehabilitate such land or replace cocoa with another crop where continuing cocoa production is no longer viable.

Reuters reported that the Ghana Cooperative Cocoa Farmers and Marketing Association supports protecting cocoa land but has called for aspects of the legislation to be reviewed and better communicated to farmers.

The concern is therefore not simply about protecting cocoa farms.

It is about how that protection will balance the rights and economic interests of farmers who own or cultivate the land.

The Bill Is Not Yet Law

This distinction is important.

Although Parliament has passed the Cocoa Board Bill, 2026, it has not yet become law.

President Mahama has not yet assented to the legislation, meaning the proposed restrictions should not currently be described as fully enforceable legal requirements.

That has created an opportunity for further consultation and clarification before the President decides whether to assent to the Bill.

The Minority in Parliament has also called for additional consultation before presidential assent, while the Majority has urged the President to sign the legislation ahead of the new cocoa season.

COCOBOD Defends the Measure

COCOBOD has defended the legislation and rejected criticism surrounding the proposed protections.

The Board's position is that stronger legal protection is necessary to safeguard Ghana's cocoa farms from activities that threaten the country's cocoa industry, particularly illegal mining.

The government has also argued that the wider Bill is intended to modernise the cocoa sector, strengthen its financing framework and improve the long-term welfare of farmers.

Government representatives have previously said the legislation would provide legal backing for the policy of ensuring that cocoa farmers receive at least 70 percent of the Free-on-Board price of cocoa.

Also Read: Cocoa Farmers Could Get 70%: What the New COCOBOD Rule Means

The Bigger Issue for Farmers

The controversy highlights a difficult balance facing Ghana's cocoa sector.

On one side is the need to protect cocoa farmland from illegal mining, uncontrolled conversion and other activities that could reduce national cocoa production.

On the other is the need to ensure that farmers retain reasonable control over land they depend on for their livelihoods.

Ghana has already suffered significant losses of cocoa farmland from illegal mining and other pressures.

The Ghana News Agency previously reported concerns from COCOBOD officials about the destruction of cocoa plantations and warned that illegal mining was among the biggest challenges facing the sector.

The new legislation is therefore being presented as part of a broader effort to protect the future of Ghana's cocoa industry.

But for farmers, the details matter.

They want to know exactly what they will be allowed to do with their farms, what approvals will be required and how the rules will apply when cocoa production becomes difficult or uneconomical.

What Happens Next?

The next major step is President Mahama's decision on the Bill.

If he assents to it, the legislation will move from a parliamentary proposal into the legal framework governing Ghana's cocoa sector.

Before that happens, however, pressure is building for further engagement with farmers and other stakeholders.

For Ghana's cocoa farmers, the central question is no longer simply whether cocoa farms should be protected.

It is how that protection can be implemented without unfairly restricting farmers whose livelihoods depend on the land.

Global Pulse GH will continue to monitor the Bill and report any developments concerning presidential assent, consultations with farmers and the implementation of the new cocoa framework.

This report distinguishes between provisions contained in the Bill and rules currently in force. The Ghana Cocoa Board Bill, 2026 has been passed by Parliament but is awaiting presidential assent.