Introduction Farmers’ livelihoods depend largely on their crops, and the cocoa crop has been struggling. According to estimates from the International Cocoa Organisation, cocoa production in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana has declined over the past decade, with Côte d’Ivoire dropping from about 2.0 million tonnes in 2015/16 to roughly 1.8 million tonnes in 2023/24, and Ghana from around 850,000 tonnes to 750,000 tonnes. 62 Last season, some studies suggested a very small improvement in yield from 0.39 to 0.40 metric tons per hectare in Côte d’Ivoire 63 and 0.41 to 0.55 tons per hectare in Ghana 64 , but not what most had hoped for. This means that, in general, productivity levels remain too low to support a living income for the majority of farmers. This problem is further exacerbated by climate change, ageing trees (and farmers) and widespread cocoa crop disease. With around 19% of cocoa trees in Côte d’Ivoire 65 and 23% in Ghana now over 30 years old 66 , the sector is at risk of long-term decline. If we don’t act now by investing in improved productivity for farms, it is unlikely that productivity levels will recover sufficiently to enable cocoa farmers to earn a living income.
WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH THE CLIMATE? Cocoa farmers in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana continued to face climate-related challenges. In Côte d’Ivoire, USDA research reported erratic rainfall and rising temperatures triggering brown-rot outbreaks and stressing cocoa trees. Harmattan winds and dry spells disrupted pod development. 67 Ghana saw slightly improved weather compared to 2023/24, but delayed and uneven rains, temperature swings and heat stress still hampered pruning and fertilisation – especially in the south – raising vulnerability to pests and disease. 68 These pressures are making it increasingly difficult for farmers to sustain yields, underscoring the urgent need for more climate- resilient farming practices
CAUSES OF LOW YIELD IN WEST AFRICA
Low farm gate price
Inadequate: - maintenance - pest and disease control - nutrient supply
High input prices
Low income from cocoa
Low input use
Low yields
No access to loans and credit
Age of cocoa farms
Small farm size
Visual adapted from: Wessel, M., Quist-Wessel, P.M.F. (2015). Cocoa production in West Africa, a review and analysis of recent developments. NJAS - Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences 74-75 (2025) 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.njas.2015.09.001.
62.International Cocoa Organization (ICCO), Quarterly Bulletin of Cocoa Statistics, Vol. LI, No. 3, 2024. 63. United States Department of Agriculture. Côte d’Ivoire - Cocoa Sector Overview - 2025 . 64. United States Department of Agriculture. Ghana - Cocoa Sector Overview - 2025 . 65. Oppong, Francis. “Cocoa Market Outlook 2015.” International Cocoa Organization, 2015. 66. Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research. Status of Research in the Field . 67. United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service. “Côte d’Ivoire Cocoa Sector Overview 2025 .” 68. Ghana Meteorological Agency, 2024 State of the Climate – Ghana .
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Ending exploitation in cocoa together
Living income
Climate, environment & productivity
Human rights
Governance & finances
Interesting appendices
Scaling for change
Introduction
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