African climate negotiators rally youth for action ahead of COP31 and COP32

Chair of the African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN), Dr. Nana Antwi-Boasiako Amoah, has urged international partners and young advocates to unite around an integrated climate agenda focused on resilience, equity, and practical action.

 

The Regional Conference of Youth (RCOY) Africa 2026 held in Accra, Ghana, centered on the theme "Driving Integrated Solutions across Africa’s Climate Agenda for Impact, Resilience and Justice," highlighting the urgent need to translate international negotiating priorities into tangible community outcomes.

 

Speaking to diplomats, policymakers, and youth delegates, Dr. Amoah emphasized that climate change cannot be treated as an isolated environmental concern, noting that it directly impacts food security, water availability, energy access, public health, and economic development across the continent.

 

Representing the collective voice of African nations within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the AGN Chair outlined core negotiating priorities, including adaptation, predictable climate finance, loss and damage mechanisms, technology transfer, and a just energy transition.

 

Dr. Amoah stressed that African countries must be enabled to pursue vital development aspirations while receiving support for a crisis they contributed relatively little to causing.

 

"Addressing these challenges requires an integrated approach that connects international climate negotiations with national policies, regional cooperation and implementation at the community level," Dr. Amoah noted, adding that adaptation ambitions require predictable finance and technical capacity at all levels.

 

Turning to climate diplomacy, Dr. Amoah highlighted the vital role of Africa's youth demographic in driving innovation, community mobilization, and technical research across issues such as renewable energy, environmental governance, and climate adaptation. However, he underscored that youth engagement must extend far beyond attendance numbers.

 

"The objective is not simply to have more young people present in climate diplomacy, but to strengthen their capacity to contribute to the substance of the decisions being made."

He urged young climate leaders to approach negotiating processes with preparation, discipline, and evidence-based advocacy—including analyzing negotiating texts, conducting credible research, and building constructive relationships with policymakers. At the same time, he called on governments and institutions to remain open to the proposals and evidence presented by younger generations.

 

As negotiations build momentum ahead of COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, and look forward to COP32 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 2027, Dr. Amoah called on RCOY Africa delegates to generate clear, actionable recommendations capable of informing national policy and shaping negotiating strategies.

 

He reaffirmed the AGN's commitment to collaboration, urging global partners and African institutions to ensure youth contributions have meaningful opportunities to inform collective climate action so African communities receive the support needed for long-term resilience.\

by Kofi Adu Domfeh 

African group demands action on climate finance and adaptation ahead of COP 31

Chair of the African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN), Nana Dr. Antwi-Boasiako Amoah has called on the international community to honor existing climate agreements across finance, adaptation, and development to rebuild trust in the multilateral climate process.

 

Addressing the incoming COP 31 Presidency during virtual informal consultations on October 14, 2026, Dr. Amoah stressed that keeping the 1.5°C goal within reach and accelerating implementation depend directly on providing developing nations with the necessary resources to act.

 

"Developing countries need the means to act, and the multilateral system has to deliver on what it has already agreed," Dr. Amoah stated, outlining the African Group’s key priorities across three central clusters: climate finance, adaptation, and climate and development.

 

Under the climate finance agenda, the AGN Chair urged Parties to move beyond delay and translate previous agreements into operational progress. Specifically, he called on CMA 8 to advance substantive discussions on Article 9.1 under the Climate Finance Work Programme agreed in Belém.

 

"Its provisions are clear, and they cannot keep being put off. Let’s deliver on what we agreed on," Dr. Amoah emphasized.

 

Additionally, the African Group called for a clear signal regarding the replenishment of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), emphasizing that the COP should utilize existing mandates to assess developing countries' financial needs to inform resource mobilization.

 

On the Adaptation Fund, Dr. Amoah noted that negotiation text is ready and urged the COP to mandate the Board to commence transition arrangements so the fund can serve the Paris Agreement using Article 6.4 share of proceeds.

 

Addressing adaptation priorities, Dr. Amoah proposed establishing a technical task force to advance work on adaptation indicators, metadata, and methodologies. Clarifying the scope of this initiative to reassure negotiating partners, he noted that the AGN is not advocating for a permanent administrative body.

 

"Let me reassure Parties that the African Group is not seeking a permanent body. We emphasise the agreement on a two-year process focused on metadata and methodologies," Dr. Amoah noted, expressing confidence that this technical work could be concluded in the first week of negotiations.

 

The AGN Chair further highlighted the urgent need for structured discussions on tripling adaptation finance by 2035 and pursuing the Global Goal on Adaptation in line with Articles 9.1, 10, and 11 of the Paris Agreement.

 

He stressed that defining clear baselines and financing trajectories is essential for multilateral credibility. "This matters for trust in the multilateral system. We cannot simply set aside what we agreed before," he warned.

 

In the cluster on climate and development, Dr. Amoah prioritized the operationalization of the Just Transition Mechanism and the continuation of the Just Transition Work Programme. He advocated for a two-tier institutional architecture encompassing technical and political dimensions, with a clear focus on securing financing modalities that connect UNFCCC processes with external actors.

 

Turning to international trade, Dr. Amoah reaffirmed Africa's active engagement in the Climate Change and Trade Dialogue, insisting that its outcomes must feed into the high-level roundtable expected from the Subsidiary Bodies.

 

"That process must be owned by Parties, not left only to the Chairs," Dr. Amoah insisted.

 

Concluding his intervention, Dr. Amoah expressed the African Group’s readiness to work collaboratively across all delegations.

 

"The African Group stands ready to work with you and all Parties toward a COP 31 that delivers implementation, finance and trust," he concluded.

 

by Kofi Adu Domfeh 

CCDA-14: AGN Chair outlines four-pillar strategy for genuine African climate agency

The 14^th Conference on Climate Change and Development in Africa (CCDA-14) opened at the United Nations Conference Centre, signaling a decisive continental transition from negotiating targets to delivering real-world implementation.

 

Convened by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the African Development Bank (AfDB), and the African Union Commission (AUC), the high-level summit will produce strategic frameworks to shape Africa's position ahead of COP31 in Antalya and lay the vital groundwork for an African-led COP32 in 2027.

 

Addressing the delegates at the opening ceremony, ECA Executive Secretary Claver Gatete delivered a direct warning against defining Africa's climate story purely by its vulnerability.

 

Although Africa contributes less than 4 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, it continues to face disproportionate climate-induced disasters. Gatete acknowledged that while the continent has set ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans, actual implementation continues to lag behind.

 

"We must not allow it to limit Africa's climate story to one of victimhood," Gatete declared. He pointed to finance as the primary obstacle, noting that Africa requires $277 billion annually to implement its NDCs through 2030, yet current global flows cover a mere 11 percent of this need.

 

Gatete argued that international finance must prioritize grants and concessional resources over debt-adding instruments, while leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to transform the continent’s mineral and renewable wealth into green jobs.

 

AUC Commissioner, Moses Vilakati put the challenge to the conference even more bluntly: the defining question for CCDA-14 is not what Africa expects from others, but "what Africa is prepared to propose".

 

Civil society representatives strongly aligned with this sentiment, with PACJA Executive Director Mithika Mwenda asserting that CCDA-14 cannot be "another talk shop" and must move previous commitments "from declaration to delivery".

In a pivotal presentation addressing the core meaning of African climate leadership, Nana Dr. Antwi-Boasiako Amoah, Chair of the African Group of Negotiators (AGN), outlined the pathway to true climate governance.

 

He argued that African climate agency is achieved when the continent moves away from a reactive posture, constantly responding to proposals drafted by external parties, and instead actively shapes the global agenda with technically grounded, credible, and unified African solutions.

 

The AGN is uniquely tasked with translating 54 diverse national interests into cohesive, unified common positions. To achieve this, the group coordinates across a rigorous three-tiered system, feeding technical inputs upward to the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) and receiving strategic political guidance from the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC).

 

To operationalize this proactive leadership, Dr. Amoah detailed the AGN’s structured framework for advancing continental agency across four essential pillars:

 

Narrative and Agenda-Setting Agency: Reframing global climate governance by linking climate action directly to equity and access to sustainable development, in compliance with the Paris Agreement.

 

Institutional Influence: Shaping the governance and policies of the UNFCCC Financial Mechanism—including the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Loss and Damage Fund—while driving COP decisions to reform Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) and championing the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA).

 

Normative and Legal Influence: Advancing the operationalization of equity and Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC) through equitable, just transition pathways.

 

Accountability and Implementation: Demanding that international parties fulfill their legal obligations under both the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement.

 

For the long term, Dr. Amoah introduced the development of an African Common Platform. This platform is designed to protect developing nations' legitimate rights to sustainable development and poverty eradication.

Crucially, the platform rejects any trade-offs between climate action and development, asserting that Africa must secure the necessary "policy space" for industrialization and green value chains. This requires coordinating across broader international economic, trade, and financial systems to support local content and integrate African markets into global technology supply chains.

 

In the near term, the strategic roadmap runs directly to COP31 in Antalya and culminates in Ethiopia’s hosting of COP32 in 2027.

 

The AGN plans to use COP32 as a unified front to advance equity, close the massive adaptation finance gap, and table mature regional initiatives backed by clear financing and delivery plans.

 

As CCDA-14 continues through September 9, delegates are working to finalize a COP31 strategic framework and a unified African Common Position.

 

For the AGN, success means protecting the policy space for sustainable development, ensuring predictable finance, and securing a just and prosperous future for the entire continent.

 

Future of Energy Conference: Africa must power production, not just consumption — policy leaders

African countries must move beyond expanding electricity access for household consumption and focus on using energy as a catalyst for industrialisation, value addition and economic transformation, policy leaders at the Future of Energy Conference 2026 have said.

While African economies continue to pursue ambitious targets for universal electricity access, the experts argue that access alone will not deliver meaningful economic transformation unless energy systems are designed to support productive sectors.

Ghana, for instance, currently has about 89 percent electricity access and is targeting universal access by 2030.

At the conference, organised by the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), experts stressed the need for African countries to align their energy strategies with industrial and economic development priorities.

Dr Marit Kitaw, Economic Affairs Officer at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), said there could be no just minerals transition without a corresponding just energy transition.

She said Africa must fundamentally rethink how it plans and deploys energy, moving from a consumption-driven approach towards one that supports production.

"Universal energy access remains a moral and development imperative. Access alone is not enough and industrial transformation requires power that is affordable, reliable, scalable and available," she said.

Dr Kitaw's position was echoed by Ghana's Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, who called for a shift from the export of raw materials towards high-value production within Africa.

"We must not replace fossil fuel export with raw minerals export and call it transformation because that it not," he emphasised.

The Finance Minister said Africa's industrialisation agenda must be pursued collectively, leveraging the continent's large market rather than treating its 54 economies as isolated markets.

"Africa must industralize as one market, not 54 fragmented economies. The Africa Continental Free Trade Area gives us reach but agreements alone does not create trade. We must move from trading what we produce to producing what Africa trades in," he stated.

He said Africa had the resources, market and human capital required to transform its economic fortunes, but the continent must now translate those advantages into productive capacity.

"The resources are here in Africa, the market is with us, the people of Africa are ready. Let us turn Africa's potential into production; production into jobs; and jobs into prosperity," the Minister said.

Dr Kitaw further noted that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) provides an opportunity to transform fragmented national markets into a single market of about 1.4 billion people.

She said stronger regional energy cooperation could also provide the foundation for industrial growth by improving reliability, lowering costs and enabling countries to optimise their energy resources.

"Regional power pools can help countries share generation capacity, reduce system costs and improve reliability, while regional mineral corridors can connect mines to processing hubs, manufacturing centers and markets," she said.

According to Dr Kitaw, Africa's energy strategies should be directly linked to mineral development plans, industrial policies, trade frameworks, infrastructure corridors and skills development.

The policy leaders' call comes as African countries seek to leverage their vast mineral resources, expanding energy systems and the AfCFTA to accelerate industrialisation, create jobs and retain more value from the continent's natural resources.

The emerging consensus is that Africa's energy transition must not only ensure that people have electricity, it must ensure that electricity powers factories, processing plants, businesses and the productive economy.

By Kofi Adu Domfeh

EV boom: Ghana moves to standardise charging infrastructure to protect power grid

The Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Dr John Abdulai Jinapor, has called for greater standardisation and regulation of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure as Ghana prepares for rising electricity demand from the growing adoption of electric mobility.

 

He said the rapid expansion of EVs, coupled with increasing electricity needs from industries, mines, data centres and businesses, requires deliberate planning to prevent pressure on the national power grid.

 

Speaking at the 2026 Future of Energy Conference (FEC) in Accra, Dr Jinapor said the government was working to ensure that the growth of electric mobility was matched by adequate investment in electricity generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure.

 

"Our research shows that when you use EV vehicles, you save about 40percent on the cost of fuel alone. So naturally, Ghanaians are opting for EV vehicles," he observed.

 

He said while the transition to electric mobility offered significant economic and environmental benefits, the uncoordinated expansion of charging infrastructure could create new challenges for the electricity distribution system.

 

According to the Minister, Ghana leads the African Market of EV vehicles, noting that some private operators were establishing charging stations using new technologies capable of charging vehicles within 10 to 15 minutes, but such fast-charging systems could draw significant amounts of electricity from the grid.

 

He cautioned that the concentration of high-demand charging facilities without adequate grid planning could put pressure on local distribution networks and transformers.

 

"So what we are saying is that you'd need permission to set up those EV charging stations from the Energy Commission. That gives us the opportunity to reinforce the grid to install more transformers to accommodate the charging stations," he said.

 

The Energy Commission has already directed individuals, companies and institutions intending to install or operate EV charging stations and battery-swap systems to obtain prior approval from the Commission. The directive is intended to ensure that charging infrastructure complies with national safety, technical and operational standards.

 

The Commission has also been developing regulations covering EV charging infrastructure and battery-swap systems, in collaboration with the Ghana Standards Authority. The proposed framework covers residential, workplace, public and commercial charging infrastructure, as well as safety and consumer protection.

 

Ghana's move towards electric mobility forms part of a broader effort to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and cut emissions from the transport sector. The Energy Commission's Drive Electric Initiative, launched in 2019, is intended to promote electric mobility while supporting the development of the necessary charging infrastructure.

 

The Commission has also demonstrated the potential of renewable-powered charging infrastructure through a solar-powered DC fast-charging station at its headquarters in Accra. The facility uses 105 solar photovoltaic panels with a combined capacity of 61.43 kilowatts, supported by a 60-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery.

 

Reliable power critical to industrialisation

 

Dr Jinapor also stressed that Ghana's industrialisation ambitions would remain difficult to achieve without reliable and competitively priced electricity.

 

He acknowledged no economy has industrialised without cheap power.

 

"You simply cannot industrialise without energy," he stated. "Industrialision requires electricity at scale; not just the electricity buy reliable electricity, predictable tariffs so that industries can plan and good power quality."

 

He said the country's energy planning must therefore anticipate future demand rather than respond only after new loads have emerged.

 

The anticipated growth in electricity consumption is expected to come from several sectors, including manufacturing, mining, electric mobility, digital infrastructure, data centres, commercial businesses and modern agriculture.

 

The Executive Director of the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), Benjamin Boakye, said energy policy and industrial policy could not be considered separately if Ghana was serious about adding value to its natural resources.

 

"We have spent considerable time talking about industrailization and adding value to our national resources... but industrial production requires competitive input and energy is one of them the important.

 

"Processing requires energy, manufacturing requires energy, modern agriculture increasingly depend electricity while digital infrastructure depends on reliable power," he noted.

 

Mr Boakye's comments underscore the growing importance of electricity reliability and affordability to Ghana's industrial transformation agenda, particularly as the country seeks to move from the export of raw materials towards domestic processing and value addition.

 

Ghana currently has electricity access for about 89 per cent of its population, according to recent government and development-partner data, with universal access targeted by 2030. The country's National Energy Compact also identifies reliable and affordable electricity as a critical enabler of economic growth and industrial development.

 

The expansion of EVs is therefore expected to add another layer to electricity-demand planning, making investment in generation capacity, transmission infrastructure and distribution networks increasingly important.

 

The government has also encouraged investment in solar-powered EV charging systems as part of efforts to ensure that the transition to electric mobility is aligned with Ghana's clean-energy and climate objectives.

 

The FEC 2026, organised by ACEP, is being held under the theme, “Powering Africa's Industrial Transformation: Energy Systems for Value Addition and Competitiveness.”

 

The conference brings together policymakers, industry leaders, researchers, investors and young professionals to deliberate on Africa's energy future and the role of energy systems in driving industrialisation, competitiveness and economic transformation.

 

By Kofi Adu Domfeh 

Ghana close to issuing forest carbon credits under J-REDD+ programme – Minister

Ghana has announced it is close to issuing forest carbon credits under its ambitious J-REDD+ programme, as ministers and senior officials gathered in London with COP30 and COP31 leaders to accelerate action on forests ahead of the 2030 deadline to halt and reverse forest loss.

 

Ghana’s flagship Jurisdictional Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (J-REDD+) framework transitions traditional REDD+ projects into large-scale, national carbon credit programs. By focusing on entire ecological zones and linking climate finance directly to sustainable agriculture and livelihoods, it aims to protect forests while directly benefiting rural communities

 

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Yusif Sulemana, called for a trusted international framework for jurisdictional forest carbon credits, highlighting the programme's potential to scale investment into high-quality forest and land-use mitigation activities that deliver climate benefits while improving livelihoods.

 

The event dubbed “From Glasgow to Addis Ababa: FCLP and COP Presidencies Building Momentum on Forests from COP30 to COP31,” focused on maintaining forests as a priority through the next phase of international climate cooperation, from COP30 in Brazil through COP31 in Türkiye.

 

Ministers from Nigeria, Indonesia, and Ghana, shared a range of national initiatives and priorities, including recent commitments related to the Intergovernmental Land Tenure Commitment, sustainable bioeconomy initiatives, and high-integrity forest carbon credits. 

 

Nigeria’s Environment Minister, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, highlighted the Nigerian government’s work across a range of forest initiatives including the Great Green Wall and the implementation of a National Clean Cooking Policy and re-affirmed Nigeria’s support for the Intergovernmental Land Tenure Commitment. 

 

Minister of Forestry of Indonesia, Raja Juli Antoni, underlined the importance of protecting tropical peatlands and mangroves through the establishment of international centres for cooperation. He noted that mangroves are of the most effective nature-based solutions available, delivering climate mitigation and sustainable livelihoods. Indonesia is home to 3.4 million hectares of mangroves – roughly 23 per cent of the world’s mangrove ecosystems. 

 

The event also featured new commitments on land tenure rights from Peru and Brazil and a major forest finance pledge from Norway, underscoring growing momentum behind forest protection, sustainable land use and climate action ahead of COP30 in Brazil and COP31 in Türkiye.

 

The gathering underscored the growing importance of forests across the international climate agenda, bringing together representatives from multiple COP cycles to discuss how political leadership, finance, and implementation can help deliver the goal of halting and reversing forest loss by 2030.

 

"The ‘From Glasgow to Addis Ababa’ moment is key to sustaining the shift from ambition to implementation on forests. It allows us to advance the Roadmap to Halt and Reverse Deforestation and Forest Degradation by 2030, keeping political momentum alive and ensuring forests stay at the heart of climate action at the scale and speed required," said COP30 President, André Aranha Corrêa do Lago.

 

COP31 President, Murat Kurum, Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change of Türkiye, also said “the COP31 Action Agenda is designed to strengthen partnerships, advance practical solutions, support implementation efforts, and create a lasting legacy.

 

“To this end, we have identified ten priority themes under the COP31 Action Agenda. These themes were not selected merely as areas of discussion; rather, they reflect the most pressing global challenges, the implementation needs of Parties, and the areas where COP31 can generate tangible and enduring impact”.

 

 

Ghana's cocoa future at risk without producer-centred climate policies — Study

A new study has called for a major rethinking of climate adaptation and sustainability policies in Ghana's cocoa sector, arguing that future investments must focus not only on protecting cocoa trees and boosting production but also on strengthening the resilience of cocoa producers.

 

The call was made at a gathering in Accra to discuss findings from the study titled "Towards a Cocoa Producer-Focused Climate Policy in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana."

 

The research, conducted by scholars from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and partner institutions such as Harvard University, the Institute for Cacao and Chocolate Research and the Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny (INP-HB) in Côte d'Ivoire, argues that current climate adaptation strategies remain overly focused on cocoa production while paying insufficient attention to cocoa producers.

 

A Research and Policy Breakfast attracted researchers, policymakers, cocoa cooperatives, industry actors, development partners, civil society organisations, and representatives from Ghana's cocoa sector.

 

Presenting the findings, Dr. Albert Arhin of KNUST's Institute for Rural Development and Innovation Studies (IRDIS) noted that climate adaptation efforts in the cocoa sector have traditionally focused on increasing yields, controlling pests and diseases, and improving environmental sustainability.

 

He argued that while these interventions remain important, they are no longer sufficient on their own.

 

"Climate change is not only affecting cocoa trees. It is affecting the people who grow cocoa. Farmers are reporting rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, declining yields, increasing production costs, physical exhaustion, and growing uncertainty about the future of cocoa farming. These human dimensions of climate change require much greater policy attention," said Dr. Arhin.

 

The research was undertaken across cocoa-growing communities in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire and combined household surveys, focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and participatory research methods to capture farmers' experiences and perspectives.

 

According to the findings, many cocoa farmers are experiencing increasing difficulty managing climate-related shocks. Farmers reported working fewer hours during periods of extreme heat, facing rising labour demands, and struggling to implement adaptation measures due to financial constraints. Some also expressed concerns about whether younger generations would remain interested in cocoa farming under increasingly challenging conditions.

 

The study comes at a critical time for Ghana's cocoa sector. National production has declined in recent years, falling from historical averages of around 800,000 tonnes to approximately 600,000 tonnes. While several factors contribute to this trend, including pests, diseases, ageing farms, and rising production costs, farmers consistently identified climate change as a major source of growing vulnerability.

 

The researchers also found that many existing interventions, including price-based measures, have limited effectiveness when climate-related production losses continue to reduce the volume of cocoa available for sale.

 

Although initiatives such as the Living Income Differential (LID) have increased cocoa prices, many farmers continue to struggle with declining productivity and rising costs.

 

The policy brief launched at the event proposes an Eight-Point Agenda for a Producer-Centred Climate Policy. The recommendations include shifting from yield-centred policies towards producer-centred resilience, integrating climate adaptation with income support, investing in climate-smart water management, strengthening adaptation financing, improving farmer participation in decision-making, and incorporating farmer wellbeing into sustainability frameworks.

 

The researchers argue that the long-term competitiveness of Ghana's cocoa sector will increasingly depend on the resilience of its producers.

 

"Healthy and resilient farmers are the foundation of healthy and productive cocoa farms. If climate change continues to erode farmer health, labour productivity, and adaptive capacity, then cocoa production itself will become increasingly vulnerable," Dr Arhin explained.

 

Participants at the policy breakfast welcomed the findings and engaged in discussions on how government agencies, COCOBOD, the private sector, development partners, and research institutions can work together to strengthen resilience across cocoa-growing communities.

 

The study challenges conventional approaches that primarily view climate adaptation through the lens of productivity and environmental protection. Instead, it calls for a broader understanding of resilience that includes health, livelihoods, labour conditions, access to finance, water security, and social wellbeing.

 

The research was supported by the Harvard University Center for African Studies through the Motsepe Presidential Research Accelerator Fund for Africa. The broader research team includes Dr Carla Martin (Harvard University), Dr Albert Arhin (KNUST), Jose Lopez Ganem (Institute for Cocoa and Chocolate Research), Dr Amanda Berlan (University of Leicester), Richard Tetteh (KNUST), Dr Michael Ehis Odijie (University of Oxford), and Jean-Luc Kouassi (Côte d'Ivoire).

 

The researchers hope the findings will contribute to ongoing policy debates and encourage greater investment in producer resilience as a pathway to securing the future of Ghana's cocoa economy.

 

As climate pressures intensify across West Africa, the study concludes that safeguarding Ghana's cocoa future will require more than protecting cocoa farms. It will also require protecting the farmers who sustain them.