Cocoa Farmers Grow More Trees On Their Farms

Mr. William Gyimah (right) Nana Sarfo (middle) and Mrs. Marry Adjeibea posing by a terminalia superba

Ample real-life cases and research have shown that agroforestry could be one of the most important tools to address food security, foster climate mitigation and to build household livelihood resilience. It’s for this reason and more that, A Rocha Ghana (ARG) as part of the activities under the PPI project has aided seven (7) communities within the Abuakwa South Municipality with over 3000 tree seedlings.

The project which started two years ago is currently in its fifth phase. With support from project partners—PPI/FFEM as well as farmers in the community, tree seedlings comprising Emire, Mahogany and Ofram, were distributed to farmers to be inter-planted with food crops on their farms.

This agroforestry move by ARG contributes to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2, achieving food security; 13, Climate change Mitigation and SDG 15, Life on land which includes the conservation of biodiversity.

Monitoring of Agroforestry farms

One year after seedlings were distributed to farmers ARG’s team on June 25 through to June 28, 2019 undertook a monitoring exercise with the aim of assessing the success of the forestry project.

By the end of the four-day survey of the agroforestry farms, it was observed that about 95% of the trees planted, had survived. The remaining 5% had failed to take root because the rains were out during the time planting was done. ARG can therefore confirm high survival rate of seedlings planted.

They can further confirm that the intentional combination of agriculture and forestry is effective with the increase of biodiversity, food and livelihood security as part of its long-term gains.

Impressed by the outcome of the project, benefactors recommend that more seedlings be added to the stock of trees that were planted. They argue that the presence of other trees on their cocoa farm would boost crop yields.

The Seven (7) communities visited were; Potroase, Amanfrom, Owuratwum, Kwasi Komfo, Akwadum, Odumase and Okanta, where about 200 farmers benefited from the intervention.

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