Ghana cocoa farmers face prosecution under new COCOBOD land-use rules, MP warns

Akim Swedru MP Kennedy Osei Nyarko has criticised the newly passed Ghana Cocoa Board Bill, 2026, saying its land-use provisions could expose cocoa farmers to prosecution if they repurpose their farms.

The legislation prevents cocoa farmers from using their farmland for purposes other than cocoa cultivation or rehabilitation, according to Osei Nyarko. He said the restriction applies irrespective of whether the land is privately owned, family land or stool land.

In a Facebook post on Sunday, August 2, the Member of Parliament described the provision as an infringement on the rights of landowners.

“If you are a cocoa farmer or anyone who owns a cocoa farm, you should note that per the new COCOBOD Act passed by Parliament about a week ago, you are prohibited from using your farmland for any other purposes except the growing of cocoa or for rehabilitation purposes.

“Per the new Act, it doesn’t matter whether you own the land permanently or it belongs to a family or a stool, you will be prosecuted if you decide to cut down your cocoa farm or plantation for any other purposes,” he said.

Osei Nyarko argued that people who own cocoa farms should retain the ability to decide how their land is used, saying the new rule goes beyond what should be required of farmers.

“A cocoa farmer or an owner of a cocoa farmland must have the right to decide on what to use the land for at any given time,” he added.

His comments came days after Parliament passed the Ghana Cocoa Board Bill, 2026, on Thursday, July 30.

The bill is intended to overhaul the governance framework for Ghana’s cocoa industry. It establishes the Ghana Cocoa Board as the statutory body responsible for regulating, overseeing and monitoring activities throughout the cocoa value chain.

It also introduces a sustainable funding model for the sector.

Government has presented the legislation as a major reform designed to strengthen Ghana’s cocoa industry and support its long-term sustainability. The new framework is intended to provide a more comprehensive basis for managing the sector and its activities.

However, Osei Nyarko believes the restrictions on land use could undermine the interests of cocoa farmers and other landowners. His objection centres on the provision that farmers may face prosecution if they cut down cocoa farms or plantations for purposes unrelated to cocoa cultivation or rehabilitation.

He maintained that the ownership status of the land should not remove a farmer’s right to determine its use. Under the provision he criticised, that right would be limited even where the land is privately owned or held by a family or stool.

The MP’s intervention has therefore focused on the balance between protecting Ghana’s cocoa production and preserving landowners’ freedom to make decisions about their property. While the government regards the COCOBOD Bill as a step towards a more sustainable and effective cocoa sector, Osei Nyarko says the land-use rules unfairly restrict cocoa farmers.