GCCP Builds Capacity for EU Deforestation Regulation Implementation

On July 28th and 29th, 2025, Ghana took a major step forward in its readiness for the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which officially comes into effect in December 2025. The Ghana Civil-Society Cocoa Platform (GCCP) convened a two-day technical training workshop for community-level monitors from across the country, aimed at equipping them with the skills and tools needed to detect and respond to deforestation risks, particularly those that could affect cocoa exports to the EU.

Held at the Capital View Hotel in Koforidua, Eastern Region, the workshop brought together cocoa cooperatives, NGOs, farmer groups, media partners, unions, and GCCP representatives. The sessions focused on building local capacity to monitor forest loss and illegal land use in cocoa-growing areas, critical components of the EUDR’s compliance framework.

Speaking on the purpose of the workshop, Obed from GCCP explained:

“We are doing Deforestation training for our farmers and cooperatives. It is important that the Ghanaian Farmers and cooperatives know about Deforestation and can monitor it because it is one of the requirements of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). It requires that there is no deforestation or illegalities in the supply chain of forest risk commodities (FRC) and Cocoa is one of them.”

He emphasized that cocoa is a key export commodity for Ghana, particularly to the European Union, and that local cooperatives must be empowered to play an active role in monitoring forest disturbances. The training introduced participants to the Global Forest Watch app, a digital platform that enables real-time tracking of forest cover change.

Obed acknowledged that initial engagement with the platform, accessed via newly distributed Samsung Galaxy tablets was slow at first, but the group made steady progress. By the end of the session, many participants were able to navigate the app confidently. He added that with continued practice and two more field training sessions planned, the monitors are expected to gain full mastery of the platform and take on their monitoring roles effectively.

One of the trainees, Madam Leticia A. Yankey from the Cocoa Mmaa Cooperative, shared her excitement about the new skills:

“With the training and the accessories that have been given to us, they’ve trained me as a cocoa monitor to fight deforestation. I will be able to detect whether deforestation is going on in any of the forest areas around me, not just the reserved areas, but also of the agricultural lands, so that if I get the alert and I rush there, I willbe able to assess the situation and report on it and that will help us fight deforestation in Ghana”

As Ghana prepares to align with international sustainability standards, initiatives like this reflect the growing role of civil society and local communities in protecting the country’s forests and ensuring the long-term viability of its cocoa sector on the global market.

 

 

 

Written by: Matilda Mensah Marfo (Tilly Akua Nipaa)