Germany backs Ghana’s new 50% local cocoa processing policy

Maxwell Nyagamago 16:53 - 03 September 2026

German Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Frederik Landshöft, and Ghana’s Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, pictured alongside chocolate and cocoa beans. (For illustrative purposes only.)

Germany has backed Ghana’s policy requiring at least 50% of cocoa beans to be processed locally, while urging the country to go further into finished chocolate production to maximise value addition.

Germany has pledged its support for Ghana’s new policy requiring at least 50% of cocoa beans to be processed locally.

The German Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Frederik Landshöft, said some German companies are already contributing to local cocoa production and processing, describing the policy as an important step towards greater value addition in the cocoa sector.

President John Dramani Mahama signed the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) Bill, 2026 into law on August 26, 2026, replacing the 1984 framework, PNDCL 81, as part of reforms aimed at transforming the cocoa sector.

Also Read: Jollof or fufu? German Ambassador reveals his favourite Ghanaian food

President John Dramani Mahama signed the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) Bill, 2026 into law on August 26, 2026.

A key provision of the new law requires a minimum of 50% of cocoa beans to be processed locally beginning from the 2026/27 crop season.

Reacting to the policy in an interview with Pulse Ghana, Ambassador Landshöft commended the government’s focus on local value addition.

Absolutely, Ghana should do that and we are we are supporting this, already if you look at Fairafric is, maybe one of the very few, companies inside of Ghana that is producing, chocolate from farm to factory in Ghana.

Also Read: COCOBOD bans LBCs from buying cocoa on credit, warns of licence revocation

He explained that Fairafric operates in the Eastern Region and has received support from German companies.

It's in the Eastern Region, and it's a German Ghanaian company that was also, was also supported by German corporations. If you go there, it's really impressive what they're doing, they include the community.

The German Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Frederik Landshöft speaking in an interview with Pulse Ghana’s Maxwell Nyagamago

Ambassador Landshöft also pointed to another German-linked company involved in cocoa processing in Ghana.

Also Read: Germany nears return of 4 colonial-era cultural objects to Ghana, Ambassador says

I think this is very important because the government just passed the bill about, 50% of, value addition or processing that should be done, yeah, so, there's also another German company, West African Mills Company Ltd (WAMCO), in Takoradi which is, into in the business of, processing cocoa beans to cocoa butter and cocoa oil.

While welcoming the 50% processing requirement, he said Ghana should go beyond processing cocoa beans into intermediate products such as cocoa butter and oil, and focus more on finished chocolate products.

I think this is a very important first step, but Ghana should go further because the, the, main value addition happens when you process cocoa oil and butter into chocolate. So this is where the real addition takes place, and I think Ghana should make the next step. By this, and we are happy as Germany that we are supporting this already.

Also Read: Ghana and World’s largest cocoa-producing nation agree on new pricing strategy to boost farmers' earnings

A closeup image of a busket of cocoa pods. Image source: /www.ntu.edu.sg/cas

Germany is the largest producer of chocolate products in the European Union.

According to Trading Economics, Ghana exports approximately $249 million worth of cocoa and cocoa preparations to Germany annually. This includes about $92.04 million in cocoa beans, $48.73 million in cocoa paste, $25.86 million in cocoa butter, fat and oil, and $3.30 million in chocolate and other cocoa-based food products.