In recent years, responsible cocoa sourcing from producing countries- such as Ghana- has become a strategic priority for chocolate and confectionery companies in cocoa consuming countries particularly in the United Kingdom and across Europe. This shift is largely driven by the introduction of new due diligence frameworks—such as the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D), European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), Mandatory Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence (mHREDD), and UK Forest Risk Commodity Regulation(UKFRC)—by policymakers to strengthen accountability and transparency in global cocoa supply chains. At their core, these regulations are designed to protect human rights and promote environmental sustainability across the cocoa industry. However, within Ghana’s cocoa sector, achieving compliance remains a significant challenge, particularly for Vulnerable Cocoa Farmers (VCFs) who face structural and financial constraints. Without innovative interventions, these farmers risk exclusion from global supply chains, leading to severe socio-economic trade-offs at the upstream. Ethical Sourcing and Sustainable Agri-Contractors (ESSAC) Ltd was established to bridge this critical gap. Unlike existing third-party cocoa sourcing agencies within the UK’s agricultural commodity sector, ESSAC’s Agri-Sustainability Service Model (ASSM) provides an innovative solution to two of the cocoa industry’s most pressing challenges—labour exploitation and deforestation—by assuming full responsibility for all upstream cocoa production activities.