The European Union Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Rune Skinnebach, has paid a courtesy call on the Management of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to hold discussions on cocoa sustainability, farmer livelihoods and Ghana’s compliance with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
The meeting underscored Ghana’s progress in key areas, including child labour risk management and education, as well as cocoa traceability through systems such as the Ghana Cocoa Traceability System (GCTS), which enables the linking of farm-level production to export shipments.
The visit comes ahead of an official mission by a Member of the European Parliament, Ms Catarina Vieira, who is expected to undertake a field inspection to assess Ghana’s level of compliance with the EUDR.
During the engagement, the Chief Executive of COCOBOD, Dr Randy Abbey, briefed the EU delegation on the financial challenges confronting the cocoa sector and emphasized the need for pricing reforms to safeguard farmer incomes and ensure long-term sector stability.
He further highlighted the urgency of scaling up the rehabilitation of more than 400,000 hectares of diseased cocoa farms. Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collaboration on sustainability, farm rehabilitation and the sustainable growth of Ghana’s cocoa industry.
