The Member of Parliament for Akim Swedru, Kennedy Osei Nyarko, has criticised parts of the newly passed Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) Bill, saying it unfairly limits the rights of cocoa farmers to decide how to use their own land.
According to him, the new law prevents cocoa farmers from using their cocoa farms for any purpose other than growing or rehabilitating cocoa. He said anyone who goes against this rule could face prosecution, whether the land is privately owned, family land, or stool land.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, August 2, 2026, Osei Nyarko described the provision as a violation of the rights of landowners.
“If you are a cocoa farmer or anyone who owns a cocoa farm, you should note that per the new COCOBOD Act passed by Parliament about a week ago, you are prohibited from using your farmland for any other purposes except the growing of cocoa or for rehabilitation purposes.
“Per the new Act, it doesn’t matter whether you own the land permanently or it belongs to a family or a stool, you will be prosecuted if you decide to cut down your cocoa farm or plantation for any other purposes,” he said.
The MP argued that the law takes away the rights of cocoa farmers and landowners to decide how they want to use their property.
“A cocoa farmer or an owner of a cocoa farmland must have the right to decide on what to use the land for at any given time,” he added.
His comments come just days after Parliament passed the Ghana Cocoa Board Bill, 2026, on Thursday, July 30.
The new law introduces major changes to how Ghana’s cocoa sector will be managed. It officially establishes the Ghana Cocoa Board as the body responsible for regulating, supervising, and monitoring activities across the cocoa value chain.
It also introduces a new funding model aimed at supporting the long-term growth of the cocoa industry.
While the government says the law is an important reform that will strengthen the cocoa sector and make it more sustainable, Kennedy Osei Nyarko believes the restrictions on how cocoa land can be used go too far and unfairly limit the rights of cocoa farmers.
