Cocoa remains central to Ghana’s economy, attracting significant investment and earning global recognition for its quality.

Yet, sustainability is fast becoming a decisive factor in international markets, with buyers increasingly scrutinizing eco-friendly production processes and waste-to-energy initiatives.

This shift places Ghana under mounting pressure to accelerate the adoption of greener practices to safeguard both its reputation and competitiveness.

At the German Embassy-JoyNews Climate Talks held at the FairAfric Factory in Suhum under the theme “Green Cocoa Processing: Energy Efficiency and Waste Management,” industry leaders and climate experts outlined cleaner production strategies and practical steps that cocoa farmers and processors can adopt to attract buyers and secure foreign investment.

FairAfric’s Managing Director, Michael Marmon-Halm, urged regulators and processors to move away from a culture of fault-finding and embrace collaboration.

He intimated that only shared responsibility can deliver accountability and sustainable waste solutions in cocoa processing. He cited solar power as a viable alternative to reduce the sector’s heavy reliance on electricity and gas.

“The use of solar power in cocoa processing not only strengthens cash flow management but also offers a truly sustainable solution. At FairAfric, we rely on solar because it protects the environment from carbon emissions, unlike diesel generators and natural gas,” he said.

Acting Director of the Ghana National Cleaner Production Center, Letitia Abra-Kom Nyaaba, stressed the urgency for processors to research, invest in, and commercialize waste-to-energy solutions, describing them as vital to securing Ghana’s cocoa future.

“What we often call waste is, in fact, a resource; one that can drive energy-efficient strategies to boost production, protect the environment, and secure Ghana’s global competitiveness in sustainable chocolate manufacturing,” she noted.

The Acting Deputy Director of Monitoring and Evaluation at COCOBOD, Eric Dickson Amengor, also mentioned leveraging “waste-to-wealth” initiatives, including recycling cocoa husks and pods into potash.

According to him, it is a resource that can be used as animal feed, fertilizer, or soap, creating alternative income streams for farmers whose livelihoods are often threatened by diseased trees.

While the shift to green cocoa processing will take time, the Suhum edition of the German Embassy-JoyNews Climate Talks made one point clear: Ghana must begin now, through collaboration, innovation, and investment, to protect the environment and sustain the global competitiveness of its cocoa industry.