Catholic Bishops warn of deepening cocoa crisis and call for farmer relief

The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has raised alarm over the escalating crisis in Ghana’s cocoa sector, warning that delayed payments and declining producer prices are pushing farmers into debt and hardship.

In a statement, the bishops called for urgent intervention to prevent further economic and social fallout in rural communities.

“For months, many farmers have endured delays in payment, resulting in unpaid labour, disrupted schooling, mounting debt, and growing vulnerability to illegal mining,” the Conference noted.

The bishops stressed that cocoa farmers should not bear the brunt of structural and historical shortcomings in the sector. “Equity and justice demand that accumulated surpluses from profitable years be used to support farmers in difficult times. Penalising them for circumstances beyond their control is morally indefensible,” the statement said.

The Conference also highlighted Ghana’s declining position in the global cocoa market, citing Ecuador, Nigeria, and Cameroon as emerging competitors. Climate stress and land degradation from illegal mining were cited as additional threats to productivity and sustainability.

Bishop Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, President of the Conference, called for immediate payment of arrears, transparent financial restructuring, and investment in youth participation and research.

“The rescue of Ghana’s cocoa industry is a moral duty. Justice for cocoa farmers is justice for Ghana,” he emphasised.