Cocoa is a key contributor to Ghana’s economy. It provides direct employment for nearly 800,000 households (GLSS,2014), accounts for an average of $1.3 billion in annual foreign exchange revenue (COCOBOD, 2020) and contributes about 1,6% of the Gross Domestic Product (GSS, 2018). Since 2018, there have been conscious efforts by the two leading cocoa-producing countries to initiate programs and specific interventions to address the challenges of the cocoa sector, which severely impacts the medium and long-term environmental, economic, and social sustainability of the sector. Among the major programs includes the Cocoa & Forests Initiative, the Introduction of the Living Income Differentials (LID) and recently coming into force the EU Deforestiation Regulations (EUDR). The pivot of these programs and interventions recognized the importance of smallholder farmers in the cocoa value chain as either a victim and or the ultimate beneficiaries.

The Cocoa Health and Extension Division (CHED) is a subsidiary of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) responsible for the control of cocoa swollen shoot virus disease (CSSVD), rehabilitation of old and unproductive cocoa farms and provision of extension services. CHED has direct access and engagement with cocoa farmers through technical and agronomic support for improved farm productivity and farmers livelihoods through the adoption of good agronomic practices.The CHED also has the oversight and management responsibility of the new Cocoa Extension System which operates in the context of a Public Private Partnership. It provides an efficient and cost-effective extension to cocoa farmers by assisting them to acquire knowledge and skills in good agricultural practices. Farmers are also trained in basic economics to orientate them to consider farming as a business venture and more importantly, for farmers to work in groups or cooperatives.

The 2021-2025 National Implementation Plan (NIP) of CFI re-affirms the signatories commitments to the three thematic themes. In the context of the Sustainable Production and Farmers Livelihoods, the NIP outlined the actions to promote investment in long-term productivity of quality cocoa, support the development of the National Implementation Guide for African Regional Standards (ARS) 1000 series to promote Climate Smart Agriculture, Improve in Cocoa Supply chain mapping and Promotion of financial Inclusion with COCOBOD as the lead institution to collaborate with signatory partners. The gap that this workshop seeks to address is create the enabling environment for the CFI Secretariat to take full advantage to leverage on CHED structures at all the cocoa districts for technical support.

Principal Objective

The objective is to strengthen the coordination and collaboration between the Cocoa Health Extensions Division with the cocoa value chain actors to leverage on the institutional structures in all the cocoa districts to promote sustainable interventions in the cocoa landscape.

Specifically:

1.   To provide an update on the status of the implementation of the Productivity Enhancement Program (PEP) with learning outcomes and explore further collaboration with partners.
2.   Brainstorm with partners on how CHED could provide technical support to cocoa value chain actors in the implementation of field-level interventions.
3. To provide an update on the ARS 1000 series Desk at Cocobod and explore further collaboration with partners.

The workshop resulted in

1.   Strengthened working relationship between the Cocoa Health Extension Division (CHED) and CFI partners and other Cocoa value chain actors in the implementation of field-level interventions.
2. Knowledge shared on best practices and lessons from projects in the cocoa sector.