The Ghana National Cocoa Farmers Association (GNACOFA) says it supports the new cocoa protection legislation but wants safeguards to prevent public officials from abusing the permit system.

The association’s representative, Stephenson Anane Boateng, said the law could help protect cocoa farms from unauthorised destruction and conversion, but warned that farmers could face difficulties if officials responsible for granting permits exploit the process.

Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Monday (10 August), Boateng said cocoa farmers often struggle to protect their farms when other people enter their land and destroy cocoa trees.

“I think this Cocoa Act, for me and my people, I think it’s good because there are so many instances where they come and destroy our cocoa without even persuading,” he said.

He said cocoa trees could remain productive for decades and that farmers could lose their livelihoods when people destroy their trees without compensation.

Boateng, however, said the permit system must be designed in a way that protects farmers from harassment, delays and possible demands for money by public officials.

“We made it strictly that they should also make it such a way that the public offices who normally grant a permit for us should not take it as an advantage and try to squeeze us,” he said.

He said a farmer who wanted to convert a cocoa farm to another use should be able to apply for a permit and, once approved, proceed with the change.

Boateng also urged cocoa farmers to organise themselves into associations so they could collectively navigate the permit requirements and protect their interests.

He rejected the suggestion that the law requires farmers to obtain permits for routine activities such as pruning cocoa trees or planting food crops under cocoa.

“Nowhere in the bill that is stated that if you want to prune your cocoa, you have to go for a permit,” he said.

He said the main objective should be to prevent the arbitrary destruction of cocoa trees and farms.

Boateng also expressed concern about the timing of stakeholder consultations, acknowledging that engagement with farmers took place after Parliament had passed the bill.

He said there were details that still required further engagement with stakeholders.

Despite those concerns, he maintained that the legislation was necessary and urged farmers to comply with the law once it came into force.

He said public officials responsible for enforcing the legislation must also act responsibly to ensure that the law does not become a tool for exploiting cocoa farmers.