COCOBOD targets galamsey with new cocoa bill

The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board, Randy Abbey, has announced that a new cocoa bill to be laid before Parliament will include strict provisions to ban the sale of cocoa farmlands for illegal mining activities, widely known as galamsey.

The move comes as authorities intensify efforts to protect the cocoa sector, which is facing mounting environmental and economic pressures.

Speaking at the 2026 Ghana Cocoa Connect Conference in The Hague—through a speech delivered by Deputy CEO James Kofi Kutsoati— Randy Abbey described galamsey as an existential threat to the sustainability of cocoa production in Ghana.

He revealed alarming findings from a nationwide survey, indicating that about 40% of cocoa farmlands are currently unproductive, 23% are affected by Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease (CSSVD), and 17% consist of over-aged trees.

These challenges, he noted, are further worsened by climate change and the destruction of farmlands by illegal mining activities.

The proposed legislation is expected to not only tackle galamsey but also address cocoa smuggling and enforce stronger regulatory controls within the sector.

According to the COCOBOD chief executive, the aim is to safeguard cocoa lands, improve productivity, and restore confidence in the industry, which remains a key pillar of the economy.

Adding an international perspective, Pieter Schulting, CEO of JS Cocoa, described the global cocoa industry as a “stressed system,” warning that the sector is facing interconnected economic, social, and environmental challenges.

He highlighted worrying trends such as declining yields, ageing and diseased cocoa trees, and the growing exit of young people from cocoa farming, all of which point to deeper structural issues.

Schulting further argued that long-term sustainability in the cocoa sector requires secure land ownership, fair value distribution along the cocoa value chain, and stronger farmer support systems.

He emphasised that farmers must be treated as entrepreneurs rather than mere suppliers, and called for urgent reforms including better access to finance, clearer land tenure systems, and policies that ensure farmers benefit fairly from the global cocoa market.

He also stressed that illegal mining is not just an environmental issue but a major economic threat, noting that unless cocoa farming becomes more competitive and rewarding, farmers may continue to abandon their lands for more lucrative alternatives like mining.