Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, the vice president of Ghana, has emphasised the necessity of making a dramatic change from exporting raw cocoa beans to building a holistic cocoa economy that supports sustainability, industrialisation, job creation, and farmer empowerment.
Ghana’s long-term objective is to process more of its cocoa domestically, the vice president stated at the EU Sustainable Cocoa Initiatives session at the 2025 Global Gateway Forum in Brussels. He described the move as both a genuine aim and a strategic requirement for national growth.
“We must move beyond exporting raw beans to building a cocoa economy that empowers our farmers, creates jobs, develops industry, and upholds sustainability,” Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said.
Higher up the value chain, she clarified, is where real economic resilience can be found, where local processing not only boosts industrial capacity but also defends Ghana’s economic sovereignty, increases employment, and strengthens its negotiating position.
Through incentives under the frameworks of Free Zones and Investment Promotion, Ghana has already set the groundwork for this change, according to Prof. Opoku-Agyemang, increasing local processing capacity to roughly 500,000 tonnes.
According to her, the government wants to boost volumes even more by boosting the general business climate, guaranteeing a steady supply of electricity, and improving logistics.
Regional value chains will help Africa to maintain more wealth inside the continent through the manufacturing of completed commodities like chocolate and other cocoa-based products, she added, highlighting the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a vital enabler.
Regarding funding, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang noted that one of the biggest obstacles for local processors, especially smaller businesses, is the availability of reasonably priced capital.
She advocated for structured, hybrid finance systems that give rural businesses access to technical support, risk-sharing instruments, and reasonably priced working cash in addition to long-term investment.
Speaking about sustainability, the vice president stated that Ghana is implementing digital tracking technologies to prevent child labour, increase customer confidence, and guarantee transparency throughout the cocoa supply chain.
Additionally, she reiterated that the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) still ensures fair access to beans for exporters and local processors.
While raw beans are subject to zero import charges, value-added exports like cocoa powder and chocolate are subject to higher tariffs, which Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said undermines fair trade. She encouraged international partners to resolve tariff escalations that punish processed cocoa products.
She underlined that agro-industrialization infrastructure, including as digital systems and dependable electricity, is being strengthened as part of Ghana’s larger transformation goal, which is based on the Big Push Initiative and the Connect 24 pillar of the 24-hour economy.
She cited Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire’s Living Income Differential (LID) legislation, which she said demonstrates both countries’ shared commitment to guaranteeing cocoa growers get fair and respectable wages.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to creating a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable cocoa economy and urged the EU Sustainable Cocoa Initiative and the Global Gateway Framework to strengthen their partnership with Ghana in order to promote processing investments, open up financing for cooperatives and SMEs, and make sure that sustainability standards continue to be constructive rather than punitive.
“Let us work together to create a cocoa sector that is fair, sustainable, and beneficial to all,” she said.
Source: newsthemegh.com