Ghana's Cocoa Farmers Face Up to 20 Year Prison Sentence Under New Legislation Ghana's parliament has passed a contentious bill that effectively locks cocoa farmers into their livelihoods, threatening them with up to 20 years in prison if they convert their land without government permission.
The legislation, which grants protected status to all cocoa farms, is the latest iteration of a long simmering debate between Ghana's agricultural sector and its government.
Critics argue that the new law severely restricts farmers' ability to adapt to changing market conditions or pursue more lucrative opportunities.