Stakeholders in green commodities call for collaboration
Stakeholders in the country’s cocoa and forestry sectors have called for stronger partnerships, sustained financing and deeper community engagement to preserve gains made under the Green Commodities Programme (GCP), as it approaches the end of its third phase in May this year.
The GCP III, which is funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and managed by UNDP, was aimed at bringing communities together under structured governance systems known as Hotspot Intervention Area (HIA) to improve natural resource management and enhance access to financing.
They explained that before the intervention, coordination among HIAs was a major challenge with limited opportunities for better coordination and knowledge sharing.
They made the call at a HIA Landscape Collaborative Forum held in Accra on Thursday, April 30, on the theme “Effective Collaborative Action for Sustainable Commodity Production and Trade.”
The forum was attended by government officials, development partners, community leaders and farmers and was aimed at assessing progress made and developing strategies to sustain the collaborative platforms created under the programme.
Strengthened coordination
The Forest Specialist at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Ghana, Mr Ayirebi Frimpong, described the programme as a success as it has strengthened coordination among HIAs.
He called for the need to expand partnerships to sustain and scale up the programme’s impact, stating that the success of the programme demonstrated the potential for large-scale landscape collaboration in managing forest resources.
He explained that the HIAs were spread across major cocoa-growing regions, including Ahafo, Ashanti, Central and Western regions, where deforestation linked to cocoa production remained a major concern.
“By targeting cocoa-growing areas, we are addressing a key driver of deforestation. The goal is to ensure sustainable production while protecting forest resources,” he explained.
Programme impact
The Director of the Climate Change Unit at the Forestry Commission, Dr Joseph Appiah-Gyapong, reiterated that the programme had significantly strengthened forest governance through the HIA model.
He said the HIA concept had enabled farmers, women’s groups, traditional authorities and community associations to collaborate effectively, leading to improved livelihoods and better environmental stewardship.
He said over the past two and a half years, the programme had facilitated capacity-building initiatives, awareness creation and livelihood interventions that empowered local communities to adopt climate-smart practices.
He added that the programme’s carbon benefit-sharing framework had also been instrumental in motivating stakeholders to participate actively in forest conservation.
Dr Appiah-Gyapong expressed the government’s commitment to support the initiative through budgetary allocations, while also exploring carbon financing opportunities and private sector partnerships.
He urged communities to embrace government-led interventions and remain committed to climate-smart practices, particularly in the face of expanding agricultural activities.
Community benefit
The Board Chairman of HIA Ahafo Ano in the Ashanti Region, Reverend Augustine Dabo, said the initiative had significantly strengthened his organisation’s operations and farming practices.
He said the programme facilitated exchange visits to other HIAs, enabling farmers to learn best practices and share experiences.
“We have had the opportunity to visit other HIAs and learn directly from farmers.
These exchanges have been very valuable,” he said.
He added that the provision of office equipment, including a laptop, projector, chairs and tables, had enhanced administrative efficiency within the HIA, improving their day-to-day operations.
“The project has brought positive changes to our farming activities and community engagement.
We are very grateful for the support,” he said.
