Researchers have identified poor farmer health and wellbeing as major factors contributing to Ghana’s declining cocoa production, urging policymakers to place greater emphasis on the welfare of cocoa producers alongside efforts to increase yields.
Speaking at a policy and research breakfast meeting on producer-focused climate policy in Accra, Dr. Albert A. Arhin, a researcher at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), said climate change was affecting not only cocoa trees but also the physical wellbeing and productivity of farmers.
He noted that Ghana’s cocoa production has fallen from an average of about 800,000 tonnes to nearly 600,000 tonnes, arguing that interventions focused solely on boosting production would not be sufficient to reverse the trend.
“The impact of climate change is not only on the cocoa tree but also on the producer himself. If the producer is not resilient, we cannot have a resilient cocoa sector,” he stated.
Dr. Arhin said the findings were based on research involving more than 1,000 cocoa farmers in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, including about 500 Ghanaian farmers who participated in surveys and interviews.
According to the study, many farmers reported that climate change was reducing their ability to work on their farms due to health challenges, labour shortages and changing weather conditions, all of which were affecting cocoa yields.
He said farmers also expressed frustration that while attention had largely focused on increasing productivity, little consideration had been given to the impact of climate change on their health and livelihoods.
The study further found that concerns over poor road networks, low producer prices and unfulfilled promises continue to affect cocoa farming communities, despite regular engagements through cooperatives and civil society organisations.
Dr. Arhin called on government to integrate healthcare, farmer welfare and climate resilience measures into national cocoa policies, stressing that protecting producers was essential to safeguarding the future of the cocoa sector.
Supporting the call, Executive Director of the Institute for Cacao and Chocolate Research, Jose Lopez Ganem, urged governments in cocoa-producing countries to invest more in healthcare and rural infrastructure.
He said improving access to affordable healthcare, better roads and transportation would strengthen farmers’ resilience and boost agricultural productivity.
Drawing lessons from Taiwan, Mr. Ganem noted that farmers there benefit from quick and affordable healthcare services, demonstrating that linking healthcare to agriculture is both practical and achievable with sustained government investment.
He added that as climate change continues to intensify, countries including Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria and Cameroon must broaden climate resilience strategies to include investments in healthcare systems and rural infrastructure to secure the future of cocoa production.
