Stakeholders in Ghana’s cocoa sector are calling for stronger collaboration to protect cocoa farms from the growing threat of illegal mining, warning that unchecked galamsey could undermine the country’s flagship crop.

The appeal was made at a stakeholder engagement organised by the Fairtrade Ghana Network in partnership with Fairtrade Africa, with funding from the European Union.

The meeting sought to develop a coordinated roadmap to combat illegal mining.

Policy and Advocacy Manager at Fairtrade Africa, Elvis Core, said the organisation is committed to strengthening cocoa farmers' voice in shaping policies that protect their livelihoods.

He explained that the Fairtrade Ghana Network has established and trained a six-member advocacy committee to equip cocoa producers with the skills to engage policymakers and other stakeholders on issues affecting the sector.

Mr Core said the engagement also aimed to bring together organisations already working to combat illegal mining so they could develop a unified strategy.

President of the Fairtrade Ghana Network and the Asunafo Municipal Cooperative Cocoa Farmers and Marketing Union, Emmanuel Sarpong, urged the government to work closely with the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to identify and protect major cocoa-growing areas.

“COCOBOD should show the government where exactly we have more cocoa so that we can demarcate those places as no-go zones,” he said.

Mr Sarpong also called for stricter enforcement of laws protecting cocoa farms and greater involvement of traditional authorities and local communities in tackling illegal mining.

Head of Cocoa Protection at COCOBOD, Michael Kwateng, stressed that safeguarding cocoa farms requires stronger partnerships between the Board and cocoa farmer cooperatives.

“When farmers are not there, cocoa will not be there, or COCOBOD will not be there. We need to collaborate with all the cocoa farmer groups so that we can work together,” he stated.

Mr Kwateng said chiefs and opinion leaders have a critical role to play in preventing illegal miners from operating in their communities.

He also called for increased funding for public education campaigns and urged cocoa cooperatives to educate their members, especially young people, about the dangers of illegal mining.