Cocoa-Forest Mosaic for People and Ecosystem Resilience
(COFORM PROJECT)

Cocoa-forest Mosaic for people and ecosystem resilience (COFORM) is an agroforestry strategy being introduced to cocoa producers surrounding Kakum Hotspot Intervention Area (HIA) where Carbon stock trees are planted on cocoa farms. Restoration of forest in a cocoa landscape (Agroforestry) in the Kakum HIA is a management practice of combining trees and crops on the same piece of land with the objective of not only improving crops but also increase biodiversity and reduce emissions driven by deforestation and forest degradation through climate smart cocoa production. Enhancing ecological and community resilience through cocoa agroforestry is the primary goal which will also better farmers’ means of subsistence. There have been several sustainability projects as a result of the loss of biodiversity and its negative effects on the viability of the cocoa sector, and COFORM is no exception.

One strategy to increasing productivity, diversifying farmer income, reducing carbon emission and increasing farmers resilience is to introduce cocoa agroforestry approach as a nostrum which has raised concerns among many stakeholders, including governments, private sector, and many actors along the cocoa value chain. Ghana is regarded as one of the nations in west Africa that has seen forest degradation, which is related to agriculture as a primary driver by felling of trees and clearing of forest which has led to climate change and global warming. A dramatic drop in yield in Ghana’s cocoa production is attributable to the removal of trees from farms and forests and that is challenging to the livelihoods of many farmers.

This COFORM project is employing a climate smart cocoa approach where shade trees are planted and managed in unshaded cocoa farms to address poverty among farmers by increasing yield to raise farmers income where livelihood of farmers are improved and contribute to climate change mitigation.  This initiative is collaborating with EMFED FARMS, a limited liability company that offers dependable farm management services to its small holder farmers, on its implementation.