Ghana's Cocoa Industry: The Role of the State (COCOBOD)

Author: Kweku Ofosu-Asare PhD
Publisher: Excellent Publishing and Printing
Pages: 252

Ghana's Cocoa Industry: The Role of the State (COCOBOD) is a groundbreaking exploration of Ghana’s cocoa industry, examining the critical role of the state in one of the country’s most significant economic sectors. 

Written by Kweku Ofosu-Asare (PhD), the book, published in hardcover by Excellent Publishing and Printing, provides a unique insider’s view of an industry that has long been the backbone of Ghana’s economy.

It draws on extensive research for the author’s PhD thesis and features interviews with over 400 cocoa farmers, industry experts and government officials across different regimes, spotlighting COCOBOD's critical influence in balancing local economic needs with global challenges.

With a foreword by former President John Agyekum Kufuor and Prof. John Ofosu-Anim, Pro-Vice Chancellor of the Central University, the book has received academic acclaim as an essential resource for understanding Ghana’s cocoa industry. Through a blend of data-driven analysis and real-life accounts, the author captures the core dynamics of Ghana’s cocoa sector, shedding light on the essential policies and structures that sustain it. 

The work is particularly relevant for students, policymakers and those in agribusiness, offering an accessible yet rich narrative that bridges academic insight and practical knowledge. The writing style is straightforward, avoiding dense technical jargon, while providing readers with valuable insights into the cocoa industry’s structure and challenges. 

The book’s use of data is selective and purposeful, supported by illustrative photographs that depict both the conditions of cocoa farms and the broader infrastructure in cocoa-growing areas and their impact on productivity. 

Demographic realities

A prominent theme is the demographic composition of Ghana’s cocoa farmers. The author reveals that the majority are semi-literate and ageing, with over 82.5 per cent being male and primarily elderly. This demographic reality raises concerns about the sector’s future workforce, particularly as cocoa farming remains physically demanding. 

Ofosu-Asare highlights how the land tenure system in Ghana also plays a role in sidelining women, limiting their active participation in this vital industry.

Recognising this demographic imbalance, the author stresses the need for policies that attract young, literate individuals to sustain and advance the industry, recommending comprehensive community development in cocoa-growing areas to prevent youth migration to urban centres.

COCOBOD, state policy

Central to the book’s narrative is COCOBOD’s role as a stabilising force within the cocoa sector. It provides an insightful analysis of COCOBOD’s strategic contributions, from negotiating higher international cocoa prices to securing local and international loans that enable the industry’s growth. The Produce Buying Company (PBC), a COCOBOD subsidiary, has historically played a central role in purchasing cocoa from farmers, a function once monopolised but now open to private competition due to gradual liberalisation.

One of the book’s standout analyses centres on Ghana’s response to the 1993 economic reforms, when the government strategically resisted full liberalisation under the IMF and World Bank’s prescriptions. These reforms, championed by the Bretton Woods institutions, sought to dismantle COCOBOD in favour of full market liberalisation, advocating minimal state intervention. Ghana’s government instead opted for a “meso” model – a balanced approach that maintained partial state control, while allowing some level of private participation. 

This strategic decision enabled COCOBOD to continue safeguarding the state and farmers’ interests, ensuring stability in producer prices and managing export dynamics. 

The detailed account of Ghana’s cocoa sector reform offers insight into effective corporate strategy in the face of globalisation pressures. 

Ghana’s negotiated stance on partial liberalisation allowed COCOBOD to operate as a quasi-commercial entity, tasked with both regulatory and profit-driven functions. COCOBOD’s ability to balance these dual roles underscores the importance of a well-managed public sector body that can simultaneously fulfil social obligations and drive economic outcomes. 

The book suggests that COCOBOD’s strategic choices – such as negotiating prices, securing loans and providing subsidies for farm inputs – were not merely economic necessities but also a means to reinforce Ghana’s bargaining position internationally.

Policy reforms, industry sustainability

Dr Ofosu-Asare provides several recommendations for sustaining Ghana’s cocoa industry, stressing the need for further policy reforms and targeted investments in rural infrastructure. By documenting how communities with better amenities – such as roads, electricity and healthcare facilities – report higher cocoa outputs, the author draws attention to the broader socio-economic factors influencing cocoa production. 

His analysis makes a strong case for viewing cocoa sector reform not merely as an agricultural issue but as an integral part of national development policy, stressing the need for greater investment in cocoa-growing regions, incorporating these areas into Ghana’s Free Zones to stimulate economic activity and reduce youth migration to urban centres. It also calls for increased technical support from COCOBOD to help smallholder farmers boost their productivity, along with modernised farming practices that could attract a younger, skilled workforce to the sector.

Contribution to cocoa studies

The research is a valuable contribution to the discourse on cocoa and agricultural policy in Ghana. By studying the impacts of partial liberalisation, the author provides a fresh perspective on the benefits of state-supported agribusiness models that strike a balance between free-market principles and social responsibility.

The analysis provides a valuable learning tool for students, blending historical context with current policy debates while giving researchers data-backed insights into Ghana’s agricultural sector. 

Policymakers and agribusiness professionals will find the book’s recommendations and case study of Ghana’s meso-model particularly relevant. The book showcases how strategic state intervention can coexist with market-oriented reforms.