Parliament passes Ghana Cocoa Board Bill, 2026

Parliament has passed the Ghana Cocoa Board Bill, 2026, introducing a new legal framework for the regulation and management of Ghana’s cocoa sector.

A major feature of the Bill is a guarantee that cocoa farmers will receive not less than 70 per cent of the Free on Board export price of cocoa.

The legislation is expected to strengthen farmer welfare, improve sector governance and modernise the operations of the Ghana Cocoa Board.

Presenting the objectives of the Bill on Thursday, July 30, Deputy Finance Minister Thomas Nyarko Ampem said the new law will formally establish COCOBOD as the statutory body responsible for regulating, supervising and monitoring activities across the cocoa value chain.

He said the Bill gives COCOBOD a clear mandate to support cocoa cultivation, buy, sell and export cocoa, and promote value addition within the industry.

According to him, the legislation also introduces a new funding model that will allow COCOBOD to raise funds locally to purchase cocoa beans from farmers.

“This bill is coming out with a new funding model, which will let COCOBOD source funding locally to purchase our cocoa beans from our hardworking farmers,” he said.

He added that the law will also make more cocoa beans available to local processing companies.

“This bill is bringing out new arrangements where the beans will be available for our local processing companies. 70% of the FOB price of cocoa will go to the farmers. The bill is to protect our cocoa farms and environment,” he stated.

The Bill also provides a legal framework for the Producer Price Review Committee and its technical structures.

This is expected to strengthen the process for determining producer prices and give clearer legal backing to pricing decisions in the sector.

The legislation further addresses compliance and enforcement challenges by giving statutory backing to several regulatory functions that had previously been handled largely through administrative guidelines.

These include rules on disinfestation procedures, quality inspections, service charges, cocoa take-over processes and certification requirements.

The Bill also settles governance and oversight issues relating to COCOBOD’s supervising ministry.

It places COCOBOD under the Ministry of Finance, giving legal effect to the government’s March 2025 policy directive that transferred oversight from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

Another major objective of the legislation is to support public-private partnerships and increase local value addition.

It encourages collaboration with domestic and international partners, including initiatives involving the European Union, the World Cocoa Foundation and the Côte d’Ivoire-Ghana Cocoa Initiative.

The Bill also introduces regulatory flexibility for small-scale chocolatiers and cocoa by-product manufacturers.

This is aimed at reducing operational barriers that have limited local processing, innovation and value creation within Ghana’s cocoa industry.

Existing provisions on internal marketing, quality control and licensing have been retained, while outdated laws, including N.R.C.D. 265 and A.F.R.C.D. 47, are to be repealed.

The legislation also establishes a contributory Cocoa Farmers Pension Scheme and an Educational Trust Scheme.

These are intended to provide social protection for cocoa farmers and educational support for their children.

The Bill further creates a Dispute Resolution Committee and a Cocoa Board Tribunal to handle disputes relating to licences and other regulated activities in the cocoa sector.

Parties dissatisfied with decisions of the tribunal will still have the right to appeal to the High Court.

The passage of the Ghana Cocoa Board Bill, 2026, forms part of broader efforts to reform the cocoa industry, improve farmer incomes, promote local processing and make the sector more competitive and sustainable.