Osino Ghana, August, 2026 (EWCOCO) – Osino Women Cocoa Farmers Cooperative and Marketing Society has been launched in Akyem Abakoase – Osino, a cocoa growing district in the Eastern Region of Ghana with a call on industry players to invest more in women cocoa cooperatives across the country.
The Launch brought together over 700, women cocoa farmers and partners within the cocoa value chain. This mobilization signifies a shift toward collective, structured agricultural practices designed to increase crop yields and enhance economic resilience for individual cocoa households in Ghana.
On the theme, “Women leading the Future of Sustainable Cocoa through Unity and Cooperation.
Platform to Unify
The President of the Eastern Women Cocoa Farmers Cooperative (EWCOCO), Ernestina Osei-Tutu said this is a new chapter for women cocoa farmers in Osino to advance sustainable cocoa cultivation and use the platform to support one another and pursue opportunities that will empower both themselves and their communities.
“Through unity and cooperation, we can improve our farming practices, strengthen our livelihoods, increase our access to markets and resources and create a more sustainable cocoa industry for generations to come.
May EWCOCO grow from strength to strength and become a shining example of what women can achieve through unity, leadership and collective action” she added.
Deputy Executive Director, Cocoa Health and Extension Division (CHED), Mrs. Margaret Frimpong Ayerakwa mentioned that protection of cocoa farms is receiving serious attention because it’s one of the major threats facing cocoa production in Ghana.
She emphasized that COCOBOD cannot allow the hard work of our farmers to be destroyed overnight.
“The emerging legal framework, including provisions under the new cocoa legislation provides stronger protection for cocoa farms and recognises the importance of safeguarding cocoa growing areas from activities that threatens its existence.
“This should give our farmers hope and confidence that the nation recognizes the value of your farms and the need to protect them.
“The protection of cocoa farms is not the responsibility of government alone, farmers, traditional authorities, communities, civil society and stakeholders must work together to protect our cocoa growing communities.
“Do not allow differences in opinion, politics, religion, family background or personal interests to destroy your cooperatives; build your cooperatives with trust, transparency, accountability and team work” she said.
Farming as business
The Deputy Executive Director urged the farmers to bring more women in coca production and inspire the younger generation to see agriculture as a viable and dignified business.
“Let this women cooperative become a model of what women can achieve when they come together with a common vision; today marks the beginning of a journey towards greater empowerment, stronger livelihoods and a more sustainable future for these women and their families” she added.
Commitment
The regulator and other stakeholders who graced the inauguration reaffirmed their organization’s intent to provide comprehensive backing for the newly formed chapter and other women cooperatives to ensure necessary resources to thrive is given, because women farmers remain at the heart of the industry’s future growth.
Present at the inauguration were officials from COCOBOD, The Ghana Civil Society Cocoa Platform (GCCP), NGOs and various value chain actors.
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