This investigation documents the environmental and socio-economic impacts of newly established cocoa farms on the Liberia-Côte d’Ivoire border (specifically the Taï – Grebo-Krahn forest which spans both countries). Independent Forest Monitoring (IFM) was undertaken by the Liberian NGO Save My Future Foundation (SAMFU) and the Ivorian NGO l’Association Initiatives pour le Développement communautaire et la conservation de la Forêt (IDEF), to address three questions:

Are cocoa farms continuing to drive deforestation, and is this affecting protected areas? Yes, declining cocoa productivity in Côte d’Ivoire and limited livelihood opportunities in Liberia are sustaining the expansion of cocoa into forested areas, including national parks. The long-term trend is for deforestation in Côte d’Ivoire to shift to Liberia, potentially with equally devastating consequences.

Are reduced cocoa prices having an impact on deforestation? No, SAMFU was told “Even if the price is low, we will keep farming because there is nothing else we can do”. The decision on where to sell cocoa is influenced by language, currency, family, relationships, not simply price. Forest land in Grand Gedeh is allocated to people who sponsor migrants to travel, promising them work on the cocoa farms. This land is provided via weak contracts, while unclear boundaries between community land and protected areas create opportunities for encroachment and disputes. Approaches focused solely on enforcement of forest, land and immigration laws are unlikely to succeed unless accompanied by stronger land governance, livelihood support and infrastructure development.

What does the post-harvest cocoa supply chain look like? There are important traceability challenges for governments, exporters and cocoa buyers seeking to demonstrate deforestation-free supply chains and compliance with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Effective responses will require long-term cooperation between Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire, involving government agencies, local communities, civil society organisations and private-sector actors.