Ghana

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SAVING GHANA’S FORESTS

The goal of protecting Nature underpins all our work. It inspires and drives us to secure a future that allows life to flourish for people and wildlife.

Over recent years, Ghana has experienced some of the highest deforestation rates in the world. The country has seen a 28% decline in forest cover since 1990, largely due to the expansion of cocoa farming, as well as illegal “galamsey” gold mining, and timber extraction. Ghana’s remaining tropical forests, are now mainly found in protected areas, such as reserves and national parks, and are home to many rare and endangered plants, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and insects.

Mighty Earth is collaborating with our local partners, government officials, cocoa traders and chocolate companies to protect and restore Ghana’s forests, and to improve livelihoods for the country’s cocoa growers.

  • 26,000 hectares

    Forest lost within protected areas of Ghana due to cocoa farming

  • 2020

    The year Ghana’s forest loss reached the highest rate in its history

  • 865,000

    Estimated number of small farmers growing cocoa in Ghana

  • 43%

    Share of Ghanaian cocoa exports sold in the EU in 2021

GHANA ACCOUNTABILITY MAP

Explore where cocoa comes from in Ghana and its proximity to recent deforestation and protected areas

See The Map

MORE SWEET NOTHINGS

In 2023, deforestation remains high in cocoa growing regions of Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire

2023 Update

Related Topics

Cocoa

Africa

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Cameroon

Côte d’Ivoire

News

06/Feb/2024
Protest at Amsterdam cocoa week targets German chocolate giant Storck’s unethical cocoa sourcing
chocolate decorations hanging on a christmas tree
22/Dec/2023
A call for improving farmer livelihood in the cocoa sector
16/Aug/2023
Global NGO coalition launches campaign demanding Starbucks come clean on cocoa
27/Mar/2023
Chocolate Scorecard 2023: cocoa’s impact on deforestation and climate
13/Jan/2023
Sweet Nothings: Deforestation Remains High across Ghana & Côte d’Ivoire
07/Dec/2022
Sustainability initiatives will fail until companies pay more for cocoa warns new report co-published by Mighty Earth
06/Dec/2022
Mighty Earth launches new interactive map to track cocoa-driven deforestation in Ghana
26/Apr/2022
Unpacking Deforestation and Climate Change within Chocolate Scorecard 
16/Feb/2022
Une nouvelle étude approfondie révèle que les principaux fabricants de chocolat n’ont pas tenu leur promesse de mettre fin à la déforestation