The new cocoa laws are unconstitutional, breach property rights — Kofi Bentil

A Senior Vice President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, has criticised Ghana's newly passed cocoa legislation, arguing that parts of the law are unconstitutional and infringe on the rights of cocoa farmers.

His comments come after Parliament passed the Ghana Cocoa Board Bill, 2026.

The bill guarantees cocoa farmers at least 70 per cent of the world market price, establishes a pension and education fund, and imposes prison terms of up to 20 years for converting cocoa lands to other uses, including illegal mining.

The Bill also seeks to establish a new legal framework for the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), strengthen oversight of the cocoa value chain, improve financial accountability, promote sustainability and ensure that at least 50 per cent of Ghana's cocoa production is processed locally.

Reacting to this in a social media post on Tuesday, August 4, the policy analyst argued that the bill strengthens the state at the expense of the farmers.

"The new cocoa laws are unconstitutional!! They breach property rights! They seek to strengthen the State (COCOBOD) against farmers. Repeal or amend before someone heads to SC," he wrote.

Meanwhile, government has defended the legislation as a major reform that will strengthen the cocoa industry, improve value addition, and provide greater protection and long-term benefits for cocoa farmers.