Ghana bill threatens jail for farmers who repurpose cocoa farms

Ghana's Parliament has passed a bill criminalising unauthorised conversion of cocoa farms. The proposal has triggered farmer backlash over strict controls without matching state support.Ghana's Parliament has passed a bill that could send cocoa farmers to prison for up to 20 years if they convert their farms to other uses without government approval, according to a copy of the bill seen by The Associated Press. The measure was passed on Thursday, but its contents were made public only late on Sunday, and President John Mahama has not yet signed it into law.The legislation would give protected status to all cocoa farms and make it a criminal offence to repurpose them without authorisation. The proposal has drawn criticism from farmers, even as the toughest penalties in the bill are aimed at illegal gold mining in cocoa-growing areas."If the law stands as it is now, it's not fair," said Moses Djan Asiedu, administrator of the Ghana Cooperative Cocoa Farmers and Marketing Association Limited and a cocoa farmer. He said many farmers spend their own money to acquire land, clear it and maintain cocoa farms for years before earning any income, while getting little support from the government."If cocoa is a national asset, then the farmer should also be supported to cover some of the cost of production," he said. Under the bill, illegal gold mining would attract the harshest punishment, with a prison term of between 10 and 20 years, along with a heavy fine for each affected cocoa tree. Cocoa farming supports hundreds of thousands of farmers across West Africa. In neighbouring Ivory Coast, cocoa bean exports account for 40 per cent of total export revenue, while in Ghana they make up nearly 15 per cent.Government regulators set a fixed price for cocoa beans at the start of every planting season, and most beans are sold through government-licensed parties to shield farmers from swings in international prices. In 2024, cocoa futures, or contracts to buy cocoa at an agreed price at a later date, rose to more than USD 12,000 per metric tonne, their highest level in decades, before falling to around USD 4,000 as supply outstripped demand. In summary, Ghana's proposed law would place all cocoa farms under protection and penalise unauthorised conversion, with prison terms of up to 20 years. While the bill also targets illegal gold mining with strong penalties, cocoa farmers have objected to the proposed restrictions and called for greater support.With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Aug 3, 2026 17:35 IST