A researcher at the Institute of Statistical Social and Economic Research (ISSER), Professor Fred Dzanku says addressing the impact of illegal mining on cocoa production requires a collaborative effort beyond the scope of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD).

He noted that the establishment of a task-force by the President's office to combat illegal mining, laos known as galamsey, underscores the need for multiple stakeholders to join forces in addressing this pressing issue.

Speaking on JoyNews AM show on Tuesday, May 14, he stated that “Over the past six years to seven years, we have not made progress so I do not see how the President himself and his office, all the resources that are available to them are not able to fight galamsey the way they should. Why should we expect COCOBOD to be able to do that?" he quizzed.

“It seems to me that the issue is beyond COCOBOD if the President himself and his office have not been able to fight it. It would not take COCOBOD alone to be able to deal with. It has to take the President; it has to take all the institutions that are available. The president is the most powerful person in this country, let us face it. If he is not dealing with it appropriately as he promised, why should we expect COCOBOD to deal with it”.

Professor Dzanku emphasised the need for Ghana to address broader environmental issues beyond cocoa production.

According to him, Ghana exports approximately 62% of its cocoa to the European Union (EU), which has introduced regulations mandating proof of compliance with environmental standards, particularly concerning deforestation, for anyone purchasing cocoa from any country, including Ghana.

“But I would not be surprised if the EU extends this regulation to cover things that are happening now in the cocoa sector. What it would mean is that even if we produce cocoa, we increase our production but we cannot show that this cocoa has been produced in an environmentally friendly manner, we may not be able to enter the EU market.

“So, it is not just the production of it but making sure that we produce the cocoa in an environmentally friendly manner, and I am afraid that the whole issue of galamsey would be a threat to environmental sustainability issue that the EU regulation is coming up with,” he noted.