The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has called for immediate action to safeguard Ghana’s cocoa farmers amid mounting economic pressures.

The bishops expressed deep concern over delayed payments, declining producer prices, and the resulting hardships faced by rural communities dependent on cocoa farming.

The Conference noted that many farmers have suffered financial setbacks and social challenges as a result of unpaid cocoa deliveries.

“During years of windfall gains, producer prices were not raised proportionately. Farmers should not bear the full burden of systemic and historical failures,” the statement said.

Highlighting the need for equity, the bishops urged the government to stabilise producer prices and use accumulated surpluses to cushion farmers.

They also called for a depoliticised national dialogue focused on farmers’ welfare and the sector’s long-term sustainability.

The bishops warned that Ghana risks losing its competitive position in the global cocoa market.

“Ecuador is on course to overtake Ghana as the world’s second-largest cocoa producer, while Nigeria and Cameroon threaten to form a powerful third force.

These shifts, alongside climate stress and land degradation from illegal mining, place Ghana at a strategic crossroads,” the statement said.

Concluding the statement, Bishop Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi said, “Youth participation, research, and local processing must be prioritised to secure the sector’s future.

The rescue of Ghana’s cocoa industry is a moral imperative, not merely an economic task.”

The Conference has also shared a detailed pastoral letter on the cocoa crisis with former President John Dramani Mahama and the Leadership of Parliament for urgent consideration.