Among the main challenges facing cocoa-producing countries is the fight against deforestation. According to a study published by the Cocoa and Forest Initiative (ICF), while Ghana was able to restore 226,000 hectares of forests, Côte d'Ivoire planted nearly 10 million trees in 2020. Côte d'Ivoire, the world's largest cocoa supplier, is now using satellite surveillance to be more effective in combating deforestation. In Ghana as in Côte d'Ivoire, the increase in cocoa production has not spared forest areas in recent years.
According to Global Forest Watch, between 2017 and 2018, the two nations experienced the largest loss in area of primary forests in a tropical region with 60% and 26% respectively. These new data showing progress in the fight against deforestation come in a context where the EU is currently finalizing more stringent regulations on the sustainability of beans.