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Cocoa

Cocoa remains the flagship of Ghana’s agricultural exports, contributing over 73% of the sector’s export value. In the 2022/2023 season, Ghana produced approximately 750,000 metric tons of cocoa beans, maintaining its position as the world’s second-largest cocoa producer after Côte d’Ivoire. Cocoa cultivation spans about 1.6 million hectares across six major regions in the country. The sector plays a pivotal role in Ghana’s economy, contributing significantly to export earnings and national GDP.

In 2023, cocoa exports generated over $2 billion in revenue. Beyond its economic value, the cocoa industry is a major source of livelihood, directly and indirectly supporting more than 800,000 farm families across the country.  
2026 - 2027
Ghana
Sustainable agriculture
ASKI – Agroforestry Skills and Knowledge Initiative for Ghana Cocoa Sector
The ASKI pilot seeks to equip Ghana’s cocoa sector with the skills, systems, and institutional capacity needed to transition smallholder farmers from fragmented, low-shade monoculture practices to coordinated, climate-resilient agroforestry systems aligned with SWISSCO’s (Swiss Platform for Sustainable Cocoa) gold standard. Its vision is to make agroforestry a practical, scalable, and institutionally supported pathway that strengthens farmer livelihoods while advancing Ghana’s climate, biodiversity, and EUDR (EU Deforestation Regulation) commitment.
Kanea
Swisscontact’s Cocoa Light Bulb Approach called KaNea in Ghana is a bold initiative designed to transform the cocoa sector through innovation, collaboration, and sustainability. By working alongside public and private stakeholders under a shared roadmap (yet to be designed), the approach promotes dynamic agroforestry, enhances farmer incomes through new revenue streams like carbon credit, and introduces productivity-boosting technologies. With a strong focus on research, skills development, and coordinated extension services, this systemic model aims to build a resilient, climate-smart, and inclusive cocoa value chain—ensuring long-term impact and fairer livelihoods for Ghanaian cocoa farmers. Swisscontact will work closely with all the stakeholders to bolster KaNea.