Cocoa production has been the backbone of Ghana’s economy since the 1870s. It dominates the agricultural sector and contributes about 30% of the country’s export earnings. Cocoa employs about 800,000 farmers directly. It also supports the livelihoods of others in the commerce, service and industrial sectors of the Ghanaian economy. This makes it an important generator of revenue.
Most studies of cocoa production have focused on its economic benefits. Less attention has been paid to its environmental impacts. But cocoa farming has enormous environmental consequences. This is because it can only take place in Ghana’s forest agro-ecological zone. In this zone, the rainfall is ideal for cocoa at 1500-2000mm, with a dry season of about four months. Also, cocoa trees thrive under shade.
But with rising demand for cocoa on the world market, large areas of forest cover have been lost to its cultivation. Read more…
