The European Forest Institute (EFI) has led this study in the context of the policy dialogue with the European Union, and under the strategic steering of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), with the aim of supporting the due diligence of operators wishing to place Ghanaian cocoa, or its by-products, on the European Union market.

The approach aims to promote a national and consensual vision of the legality requirements relevant within the framework of the EUDR in order to facilitate the work of the various actors in the sector, guarantee fair access to information, reduce perceived risks and give a competitive edge to Ghanaian cocoa.

This work has been carried out with the technical support of legal and due diligence experts from TaylorCrabbe and Preferred by Nature.

The study follows the EFI framework (list of indicators) and methodology.

This information has been produced in the context of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) adopted in May 2023.  

The results provided are not legally binding, do not commit any actor concerned, and do not constitute legal advice. The results of this study provide recommendations that can support operators and other players in the industry in this direction.

An interactive visual has been produced to complement the reports produced as part of the study to support due diligence under the EUDR for cocoa produced in Ghana. For more details on the background, objectives and methodology, please refer to the report on legal requirements as well as the report on due diligence recommendations.

The assessment is also published on our Sourcing Hub as well as on EFI’s Legality Navigator.