The Chief Executive of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Dr. Ransford Abbey, has reaffirmed the Board’s steadfast commitment to a resilient and sustainable cocoa industry during a strategic meeting with Mr. Peter Feld, CEO of Global Chocolate giant Barry Callebaut.
In the meeting, Dr. Abbey underscored the vital importance of transparency, robust stakeholder collaboration, and fair crop financing mechanisms in sustaining the industry. He also highlighted COCOBOD’s intensified efforts to protect cocoa farmlands from the threat of illegal mining, stressing the need to preserve the future of Ghana’s cocoa sector and its smallholder farmers.
“Our long-term success depends on how well we can protect national interests while ensuring that farmers thrive within a sustainable, transparent system,” Dr. Abbey said.
Mr. Feld commended COCOBOD’s ongoing initiatives and emphasized Barry Callebaut’s commitment to supporting smallholder farmers, reinforcing partnerships, and maintaining the integrity of cocoa-producing landscapes.
Both parties expressed a shared vision for a sustainable cocoa value chain that safeguards both the livelihoods of farmers and the environment.
“Collaboration across the cocoa sector is key to making real progress. We applaud Ghana’s leadership in putting farmers first,” Mr. Feld remarked.
The meeting reinforces growing global efforts to create a more sustainable, inclusive, and responsible cocoa industry.
