The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has issued an urgent call for extensive reforms to rescue Ghana’s struggling cocoa sector, warning that the deepening crisis is inflicting severe hardship on farmers and threatening the nation’s economic and moral foundations.
In a press statement released on Friday, February 20, 2026, the Conference expressed “grave concern over the deepening crisis in Ghana’s cocoa sector and its devastating impact on farmers and rural communities.”
According to the Bishops, months of delayed payments for cocoa already delivered have left many farmers grappling with unpaid labour, disrupted schooling for their children, mounting debts, and increased vulnerability to illegal mining activities. They noted that the recent reduction in producer prices has only worsened the situation.
“For months, many farmers have endured delays in payment for cocoa already delivered, resulting in unpaid labour, disrupted schooling, mounting debt, and growing vulnerability to illegal mining. The recent reduction in the producer price has further eroded confidence and intensified hardship,” the statement said.
The Conference stressed that while international market conditions may fluctuate, farmers should not be made to bear the brunt of systemic and historical failures within the sector.
“At the very least, existing producer prices should be sustained where increases are not feasible,” the Bishops stated, arguing that during years of windfall gains, producer prices were not raised proportionately.
“Equity and justice therefore demand that accumulated surpluses be used to cushion farmers in difficult years. To penalise them for circumstances beyond their control would be insensitive and morally indefensible,” they added.
The Bishops also raised concerns about Ghana’s weakening standing in the global cocoa market. They warned that Ecuador is on track to overtake Ghana as the world’s second-largest cocoa producer, while the combined output of Nigeria and Cameroon could soon form a formidable third force.
“These shifts, alongside climate stress and land degradation from illegal mining, place Ghana at a strategic crossroads,” the statement noted.
To address the crisis, the Conference called for the immediate payment of all arrears owed to farmers, transparent financial restructuring of the Ghana Cocoa Board, sustained producer prices, and intensified investment in productivity.
Additionally, the Bishops urged a depoliticised national dialogue focused on farmers’ welfare and emphasised the need to prioritise youth participation, research, and local cocoa processing to secure the sector’s long-term future.
The Conference disclosed that a detailed pastoral letter on the cocoa crisis has been conveyed privately to President John Dramani Mahama and the leadership of Parliament for consideration and further action.
