Parliament Approves Landmark Cocoa Bill to Modernise Ghana’s Cocoa Industry
Ghana’s Parliament has passed the Ghana Cocoa Board Bill, 2026, ushering in the most significant legislative reform of the country’s cocoa industry in more than four decades.
The new legislation repeals the Ghana Cocoa Board Act, 1984 (PNDCL 81), replacing it with a modern regulatory framework designed to strengthen corporate governance, improve transparency and enhance the financial returns of cocoa production for farmers.
The bill was approved after detailed clause-by-clause consideration and a third reading on the floor of the House, marking a major restructuring of the legal foundation governing the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD).
The reform comes at a critical time for Ghana’s cocoa sector, which has faced mounting pressures including climate change, declining productivity, cocoa smuggling, illegal mining on cocoa lands, volatile international prices and financial management challenges within the sector.
Under the new framework, COCOBOD will be subjected to stronger financial oversight, with a legal obligation to submit regular audited financial statements to Parliament. The law also introduces an independent oversight mechanism to monitor the distribution of key agricultural inputs, including fertilisers, seedlings and farming equipment, in an effort to reduce leakages and improve accountability.
A major focus of the legislation is strengthening farmer welfare. The Act establishes a more transparent, data-driven approach to determining the annual cocoa producer price, with the aim of ensuring farmers receive a more equitable share of global cocoa revenues.
The new law also introduces tougher penalties for cocoa smuggling and the destruction of cocoa farms through illegal mining activities, commonly known as galamsey.
Beyond regulation, the legislation seeks to accelerate Ghana’s transition from exporting raw cocoa beans to producing higher-value processed cocoa products. It provides incentives and regulatory support to promote domestic processing and expand value addition within the cocoa industry.
Lawmakers from both sides of the House backed the reforms, describing cocoa as a strategic national asset requiring stronger protection and modern management structures.
Members of Parliament acknowledged that while the 1984 legal framework played a crucial role in developing the sector, it no longer adequately addressed the demands of today’s global cocoa market, including emerging sustainability requirements such as the European Union’s anti-deforestation regulations.
The bill will now be submitted to President for presidential assent. Once signed into law, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Ministry of Finance and COCOBOD are expected to issue implementation guidelines to guide the rollout of the new framework.
