There Is No Ban On Ghana's Cocoa, We Want More' - EU Ambassador

European Union Ambassador to Ghana, Irchad Razaarly, has squashed claims that Ghana might soon not be unable to export cocoa and coffee to some international markets due to a new legislation in Europe.

According to him, EU has not placed a ban on Ghana's cocoa from entering the European market.

Speaking at the second Edition of Orange Cocoa Day 2022 in Accra, Irchad Razaarly explained that the EU’s legislation on afforestation and forest degradation must not be seen as a threat to Ghana’s cocoa sector.

He said the EU was in support of Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire among all of the producers who meet the export requirements.

“The call for more sustainable cocoa production is growing globally. And our citizens in Europe are increasingly demanding measures for ensuring that cocoa and other commodities are produced in a socially environmental sustainable way. This explains EU’s legislation on afforestation and forest degradation and must not be seen as a threat to Ghana’s cocoa,” Irchad Razaarly stated.

“There is no ban on Ghana’s cocoa. On the contrary, we want more of Ghana’s cocoa, and we are in support of Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire amongst all of the producers who meet these requirements,” the European Union Ambassador to Ghana stated.

His comment comes on the back of a report by Information Minister, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah warning that Ghana might soon be unable to export cocoa and coffee to some international markets.

According to Oppong-Nkrumah, the ban might happen because of a new legislation in Europe.

In a post shared on Facebook, the minister indicated that the government was warned of this move by the Ghana Embassy in Belgium, which has started working to ensure that the ban does not come into force.