The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has issued an urgent appeal to the government and stakeholders to address the growing crisis in Ghana’s cocoa sector.

In a press statement today, the Conference warned that unpaid cocoa farmers face mounting debt, disrupted schooling, and increasing vulnerability to illegal mining activities.

The bishops highlighted the difficulties farmers have faced due to delayed payments for cocoa already delivered.

“For months, many farmers have endured delays in payment, resulting in unpaid labour, disrupted schooling, mounting debt, and growing vulnerability to illegal mining,” the statement said.

The reduction in producer prices, they noted, has worsened the situation, eroding confidence in the sector.

The Conference stressed that farmers should not bear the full weight of systemic challenges.

“Equity and justice demand that accumulated surpluses from years of windfall gains be used to cushion farmers in difficult years. To penalise them for circumstances beyond their control would be insensitive and morally indefensible,” the statement said.

The bishops also warned of Ghana’s weakening global cocoa position, pointing to Ecuador, Nigeria, and Cameroon as rising competitors.

They cited climate stress and land degradation from illegal mining as compounding factors threatening the sector’s stability.

The Conference called for immediate remedial measures, including payment of arrears, transparent restructuring of the Ghana Cocoa Board, sustained producer prices, and greater youth participation in cocoa production.

Bishop Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, President of the Conference, said, “The rescue of Ghana’s cocoa industry is not merely an economic task. It is a moral imperative. Justice for cocoa farmers is justice for Ghana.”