On my third day in Ghana, we went to a cocoa farm just outside of Accra. The hot African sun beat down on us, as we travelled deeper into rural Ghana. Bumping along dirt roads we became more and more excited to meet the farmers, as we passed through beautiful green scenery and villages. We finally arrived and visited our first cocoa farmer cooperative, before heading to a village where almost everyone was a cocoa farmer. As someone who loves chocolates, I felt very lucky to have this chance to meet the people behind the chocolate I eat.

There I met Dean (not her real name), who has been a cocoa farmer for over 10 years. She moved away from her hometown to this village to find a better life for herself and her family. She rented a piece of land from a local community member. As a tenant farmer, she faces many obstacles. One of her main challenges is the cost of producing cocoa.  Often her profit doesn't even cover what it costs her to grow and harvest cocoa beans. Climate change also makes things worse for Dean, and other cocoa farmers in her region. In the past few years, they have experienced extreme changes in weather patterns, including terrible flooding and excessive rain. The rain and floods not only damage the new seedlings, but also causes diseases like black pod, which spread mainly by rain splash.Between high costs, low prices, and climate change it’s really hard for hard working farmers like Dean to earn a decent income.