Europe’s deforestation law in the shadows of Ghana’s gold and cocoa forests

The missing link in the gold supply chain Developing cocoa pods on a tree in Ghana’s Eastern Region highlight challenges posed by the EU Deforestation Regulation and mining encroachment.gold export revenues in billions of US dollars, spanning 2023 through 2025 Source: Bank of Ghana & GoldBod In 2023, the European Union adopted the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), requiring companies importing commodities such as cocoa, coffee, palm oil, soy, cattle, rubber, and wood into the EU market to demonstrate that these products are not linked to deforestation.

Why cocoa is losing its hold on farmers Cocoa pods on a mature tree in Ghana’s Eastern Region, where low returns and illegal gold mining pose major challenges.