Cocoa Receipts and Spending (2025 Desk Study)

This report examined Ghana’s cocoa sector, particularly the fiscal aspects of COCOBOD’s Productivity Enhancement Programmes (PEPs) and the involvement of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs). Despite the significant contributions of PWDs to the cocoa industry, such as visually impaired farmers who were honored by COCOBOD, the study found little evidence of their inclusion in decision-making, access to inputs, or targeted interventions. Interviews confirmed that although some districts had minimal PWD engagement (for example, 16 farmers in Western North), most programs like hand pollination, mass spraying, or farm rehabilitation lacked specific data on PWD beneficiaries and offered no dedicated budget for them.

Financially, the cocoa sector generates substantial revenue, up to 48 billion GHS between 2015 and 2020, yet only a small fraction was reinvested into PEPs like pest control and Cocoa Hi-Tech. The study highlighted large-scale spending on farm rehabilitation and maintenance, with over 36 million GHS invested in over 34,000 farms. However, transparency in receipts and spending was limited, and the exclusion of PWDs raises critical equity concerns. The report advocates for more inclusive and transparent budgeting to ensure PWDs are meaningfully included in interventions funded by Ghana’s profitable cocoa trade.