Ghana’s long-running battle against cocoa-related deforestation cannot be resolved through certification, regulation or market restrictions alone, Professor Winston Adams Asante has said.

He believes efforts to curb the expansion of cocoa farms into forest areas will continue to fall short unless the country addresses the economic realities facing cocoa farmers.

Speaking at the Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources (FRNR) Seminar Series at the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, KNUST, Prof. Asante challenged policymakers, researchers and stakeholders to rethink Ghana’s approach to the cocoa-deforestation challenge.

He said Ghana’s response has focused too heavily on cocoa farms while paying insufficient attention to the economic conditions, land-use decisions and policy contradictions contributing to forest loss.

According to Prof. Asante, cocoa remains the main source of income for many farming households, while low productivity and limited opportunities outside agriculture leave farmers with few alternatives for improving their livelihoods.

“These are people whose incomes are drawn from cocoa. About 80% of their income is from cocoa. These are mostly male farmers who take care of their homes, age is not on their side, education is low, and basically, the opportunities to tap into the commerce sector and other areas are limited,” he said.

He explained that when farmers are unable to generate sufficient income from their existing farms, expanding into new areas can become an attractive option.

“If a farmer wants to make more money, and that is the only way he can make money, then it must be at the expense of something,” he said.

That “something”, he noted, is often land, including forest areas.

Prof. Asante also challenged the argument that cocoa should not be considered a driver of deforestation because loggers first clear forests before farmers establish cocoa farms.

He said historical evidence and satellite imagery show that cocoa has also expanded directly into forest landscapes.

“The science behind it is clear,” he said, pointing to remote-sensing technologies that can distinguish cocoa farms from forests and track changes in land use over time.

Galamsey poses growing threat

Prof. Asante also drew attention to the growing threat posed by illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, to Ghana’s cocoa landscapes.

Describing the changing situation as “the hunter being hunted”, he noted that while cocoa has historically been blamed for encroaching on forest areas, illegal mining is now increasingly destroying cocoa farms.

He said the development had further complicated Ghana’s efforts to balance cocoa production with environmental protection.

Prof. Asante therefore called for Ghana to move beyond fragmented interventions and address the structural factors driving deforestation.

He advocated stronger policies, better coordination between the forestry and agricultural sectors, adequately funded interventions and land-use planning that takes into account the competing demands placed on Ghana’s natural landscapes.