Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), hosted European Parliament member Catarina Vieira on a two-day visit to assess the country’s cocoa traceability system and sustainability initiatives, underscoring the importance of compliance with new European Union regulations for the sector.
Vieira’s delegation, which included representatives from GIZ and the EU Embassy in Ghana, visited cocoa farms in Suhum in the Eastern Region and COCOBOD’s warehouse facility in Tema before holding discussions with management at Cocoa House in Accra.
She commended Ghana’s compliance architecture under the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and highlighted the country’s progress in advancing sustainable and deforestation-free cocoa production. Vieira reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to continued cooperation and support, including investments in farm rehabilitation.
Prior to her visit, the European Union’s ambassador to Ghana, Rune Skinnebach, met with the management COCOBOD to discuss sustainability, farmer incomes and compliance with the EU’s new deforestation rules, underscoring rising regulatory pressure on one of the world’s top cocoa producers.
The visit is part of efforts to strengthen Ghana’s position as the world’s second-largest producer and gradually bring it back on top while meeting stricter sustainability standards in key export markets. COCOBOD’s traceability and sustainability systems are central to maintaining access to the EU, which absorbs the majority of Ghana’s cocoa exports.
