‘Cocoa fever’ in Liberia’s Grand Gedeh is wiping out native forests

In Liberia’s Grand Gedeh county, cacao farming has resulted in the destruction of natural forests, threatening the region's biodiversity. Prior to 2020, the county was covered by 99% natural forests, but since then, cacao plantations have rapidly expanded into these forests, according to reports from Mongabay. Grand Gedeh, located in southeastern Liberia and bordering Côte d'Ivoire, the world's largest exporter of cacao beans, has experienced significant forest loss due to cacao farming.

Côte d'Ivoire, notorious for extensive deforestation for cacao production, has seen many aging and nutrient-poor cacao plantations. As a result, cacao workers have migrated to Liberia, where landowners have offered them their land in exchange for a share in cocoa earnings. Data from Global Forest Watch reveals that in 2025, Grand Gedeh suffered the highest forest loss among all Liberian counties since 2002.

One cacao farm worker near Zleh in Grand Gedeh's Gbarzon district explained, "In Côte d'Ivoire there are no forests, that's why I came to Liberia."

The Zleh community has witnessed a substantial transformation, with approximately 82% of their 6,900 hectares of customary forest land now dedicated to cacao cultivation, as stated by the town chief. Yei Neagor, head of the regional headquarters of Liberia's Forestry Development Authority (FDA) in Zwedru, the capital of Grand Gedeh, revealed that Gbarzon has experienced the most severe forest loss in the county.

She reported that around 70% of the forest in the area has been lost. Forests in southeastern Liberia are communally owned, meaning laws regulate how private individuals can lease them for commercial agriculture. However, Ashai Wulu Gaye, chair of the FDA, noted that these laws are not being enforced in practice.