Enabling environment drivers for zero-deforestation cocoa value chains and sustainable land practices in Ghana

Cocoa production is vital to Ghana’s rural economy but continues to contribute to deforestation
and remains vulnerable to climate variability and evolving sustainability requirements. This study
examines the enabling environment for achieving zero-deforestation cocoa value chains in
Ghana, focusing on sustainable production practices, prioritized and bundled innovations, and
the policy, institutional, social, and incentive factors shaping their adoption. Using a mixed
methods approach, the study draws on a literature review, focus group discussions with cocoa
farmers, and key informant interviews with actors across the cocoa value chain. The findings
indicate strong stakeholder consensus around agroforestry, improved and climate-resilient
planting materials, integrated pest management, and sustainable soil and crop management as
key practices for reducing deforestation, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, and strengthening
farm resilience. However, adoption is constrained by land and tree tenure insecurity, high input
costs, limited access to finance and extension services, weak forest governance, and limited
participation of women and youth. Although Ghana has established a relatively robust policy
framework through initiatives such as the Cocoa and Forests Initiative, the Ghana Cocoa Forest
Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation Plus Program, and emerging
traceability systems aligned with the EU Deforestation Regulation, gaps in coordination and
incentive alignment persist. The study concludes that scaling zero-deforestation cocoa requires
a stronger enabling environment built around bundled innovations, improved tenure security,
inclusive incentives such as premium pricing and payment for ecosystem services, and enhanced
multi-stakeholder coordination to align forest conservation with farmer livelihoods and national
development goals.