The Hidden Costs of Cash to Ghana’s Cocoa Sector

In Ghana, cash is the primary payment method used to purchase cocoa, with over 90% of farmer-level transactions (more than GHS 7 billion, or USD 1.26 billion) conducted using cash every year.

As the cocoa sector considers its transition to digital payments, this report seeks to determine the overall costs and risks of using cash, as well as the benefits of digitization.

This report has been published by the Better Than Cash Alliance and its member the World Cocoa Foundation alongside a hands-on publication with key lessons and tools that are critical to launching and scaling successful responsible digital payments initiatives in Ghana’s cocoa value chain.