Cocoa farmers in Ghana are currently facing significant financial challenges, with many struggling to make ends meet despite their hard work.
This follows the recent reduction in the cocoa producer price from GH¢3,625 to GH¢2,587, which has worsened the situation and left farmers unable to cover household expenses, pay school fees, or reinvest in their farms.
Samuel Osei Kwadwo, project manager at Ghana Agroforestry for Impact (GAIM), has proposed that the government scale up Dynamic Agroforestry (DAF) as a sustainable farming practice to increase farmers’ incomes and reduce poverty rates.
“Ghana is battling with multiple farms becoming unproductive. The Cocoa Board is advocating for the rehabilitation of disease-stricken and non-productive cocoa farms. For me, I will advocate for the national scale-up of dynamic agroforestry as a means to rehabilitate old cocoa farms, ensuring that farmers leading with dynamic agroforestry get additional income,” he said.
Samuel Osei Kwadwo, speaking on the GAIM Project, an initiative launched by Fairtrade Africa and Max Havelaar France with funding from the French Development Agency (AFD) and other partners, said its main objective is to address climate resilience in the cocoa landscape and ensure diversified livelihoods with the dynamic agroforestry approach.
“We are not only addressing the environmental challenges in cocoa but also the economic aspect, as well with dynamic agroforestry. We integrate fruits and then other stable crops that farmers can get additional income from besides the cocoa.
So the farmer will not just depend on only the cocoa as a source of livelihood but also on associated crops that have been integrated through the dynamic approach for them to support themselves and then their livelihood,” he said.
With the average age of cocoa farmers often between 55 and 60, highlighting the need to attract the younger generation into cocoa production has become pertinent.
To address this, GAIM is engaging youth in cocoa farming as labour services, sparking their interest in the sector.
However, sustainability challenges persist, with many farms yielding below average due to climate resilience issues.
Farmers are either disinterested or converting cocoa farms to other uses.
“By supporting climate-smart practices like dynamic agroforestry, we can boost yields, enhance resilience, and attract more farmers, including youth, to cocoa farming.
This approach will improve livelihoods by increasing productivity and income, enhancing climate resilience, attracting the youth to the sector, and promoting sustainable farming practices.
Dynamic agroforestry offers a promising solution, integrating trees into cocoa farms to improve biodiversity and reduce climate vulnerability.
By supporting farmers with this approach, we can revitalise the sector and improve their livelihoods,” he added.
Kwadwo championed this advocacy at the Ghana Agroforestry for Impact Exchange and Learning Event with funding support from the French Development Agency (AFD), held on Thursday, February 27, 2026.
Sarah Botton, project manager, Civil Society Division at AFD France, said the initiative aligned with the agency’s mandate to fight poverty and promote sustainable development.
She said the initiative aims to promote dynamic agroforestry, which can help improve the livelihoods of cocoa farmers and restore degraded landscapes.
Botton encouraged participants to share experiences and insights to strengthen the delivery of the project and enhance its long-term impact on Ghana’s cocoa landscape.
Fairtrade Africa has been implementing DAF since 2016 through Sankofa Partners, which aligns with Fairtrade Africa’s 2026-2028 Strategic Plan on Resilient and Sustainable Agroecological Systems.
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