The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has started a series of nationwide meetings to explain the new Ghana Cocoa Board Bill, 2026, to people in the cocoa industry.

The first meeting took place at Cocoa House in Accra and brought together cocoa farmer groups, civil society organisations, and the Licensed Cocoa Buyers Association of Ghana (LICOBAG). The goal was to help stakeholders understand what the new law means for the industry.

COCOBOD's Chief Executive, Dr Randy Abbey, led the discussion along with members of management. They covered COCOBOD's role and responsibilities, how the sector will be financed, and how farmer prices will be set. Other topics included protecting cocoa farms, tracking cocoa from farm to market, licensing rules, and a new pension scheme for farmers.

COCOBOD says more of these meetings will follow in regions, districts, and cocoa communities across the country to make sure everyone understands the new law and how it will be carried out.

Background

Parliament passed the Ghana Cocoa Board Bill, 2026, on Thursday, July 30. The law brings major changes to Ghana's cocoa sector, including a guarantee that farmers will receive at least 70 per cent of the Free on Board (FOB) export price.

Presenting the Bill in Parliament, Deputy Finance Minister Thomas Nyarko Ampem said it makes COCOBOD the official body in charge of regulating and overseeing the entire cocoa industry — from farming to export. The Bill also directs COCOBOD to support cocoa farming, handle buying, selling and exporting, and promote local processing of cocoa.

The law gives legal backing to the Producer Price Review Committee, which helps set prices paid to farmers. It also strengthens enforcement of rules that were previously only guidelines — covering things like pest control, quality checks, service fees, and certification.

In addition, the Bill settles a long-running question about which government ministry oversees COCOBOD. It formally places COCOBOD under the Ministry of Finance, confirming a policy change made in March 2025 that moved oversight away from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

The law also encourages partnerships with local and international groups — including the European Union, the World Cocoa Foundation, and the Côte d'Ivoire-Ghana Cocoa Initiative — to boost local processing. It further eases rules for small-scale chocolate makers and cocoa by-product producers, removing some of the barriers that have limited local innovation.