Ghana Districts: A repository of all Local Assemblies in Ghana

AGRICULTURE

Assin south assembly transforming Kakum cocoa forest

The Assin South District Assembly has started a programme to transform the Kakum cocoa forest landscape into a more sustainable cocoa agro forestry system by protecting the forest.

Date Created : 3/21/2019 4:25:08 AM : Story Author : Wilberforce Duodu/Ghanadistricts.com

It also includes enhancing cocoa livelihoods and strengthening the socio-economic and ecological resilience to climate change across the landscape.

The programme is being spearheaded by the Hersey Company with Nature Conservation Research Centre (NCRC), Ghana Forestry Commission, the Ghana Cocoa Board and Ecom Agrotrade Limited a cocoa supplier.

Launching it at Assin Kruwa, the District Chief Executive, Mr. Derick Owusu Ambrose, said it is a flagship initiative of the Kakum Hotspot Intervention Area, which is one of the targeted landscapes of the Ghana Cocoa Forest REDD+Program, designed to reduce deforestation and forest degradation, using climate smart cocoa and landscape governance strategy that coordinates interventions from the farm to landscape scale.

He said the work, which started in the Kruwa and Abease Traditional areas, are expected to expand into other traditional jurisdictions and communities overtime.

In addition to landscape, the DCE said the partners would be implementing activities to raise cocoa productivity through climate smart cocoa agro forestry practices.

They will also support activities to reduce deforestation of the natural ecosystem and plant trees across the farming landscape, apart from activities to diversify and improve farm incomes.

The new partnership further highlights efforts to drive zero deforestation, increased agro forestry and shade grown cocoa, coupled with landscape governance and community empowerment.

In an address read on his behalf, Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Cocoa Board, Joseph Boahene Aidoo, stated that the programme is expected to reduce deforestation and forest degradation by protecting and restoring forests.

It will also reduce carbon emissions, raise cocoa productivity and promote shaded cocoa agro forestry among others.