Factsheet: Pesticides in Cocoa Production

This factsheet highlights the causes and effects of the increasing use of pesticides in cocoa production in West Africa and presents alternative organic cultivation methods.

Particularly concerning is the fact that most of the pesticides used in cocoa production in West Africa are classified as highly hazardous because of their harmful effects on humans and the environment. In the EU, many of them are therefore banned or no longer authorised, but in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana they are still permitted for use. However, the steadily increasing use of highly hazardous pesticides and its consequences hardly receive any attention in expert discussions. Even the sustainability reports of the major cocoa and chocolate companies do not contain any statements on how to counter the negative health and environmental impacts of pesticide use in their supply chains.

Related publications:

Study: Pesticides in Ghana

Cocoa Barometer 2020