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Ghana's parliament recently passed legislation that could result in prison sentences of up to 20 years for cocoa farmers who convert their lands to other uses without government authorization, according to information obtained by the AP. The bill, which was passed on Thursday but remains unsigned by President John Mahama, aims to protect all cocoa farms by granting them protected status.

Critics argue that such a law would be unfair to farmers who have invested years and their own resources into cultivating cocoa. Asiedu, a cocoa farmer and member of the Ghana Cooperative Cocoa Farmers and Marketing Association, highlighted the lack of government support for farmers who maintain cocoa plantations while receiving minimal assistance.

The legislation imposes the harshest penalties on illegal gold mining, with sentences ranging from 10 to 20 years and significant fines per affected cocoa tree. Cocoa farming is a primary livelihood for hundreds of thousands of farmers in West Africa, with cocoa bean exports accounting for nearly 15% of Ghana's total export revenue.

The government sets a fixed price for cocoa beans at the start of each planting season, and the vast majority of beans are sold through government-licensed entities to safeguard farmers from volatile international market prices.