Sustainable Practices Yield Carbon Credits in Ghana
Cocoa farmers in Ghana are improving yields and mitigating climate change by adopting climate-smart cocoa practices while curbing deforestation. The government program, known as GCFRP, empowers farmers to improve their cocoa plantations. They learn how to plant shade trees to reduce the heat on the ground and increase production; they also learn how to prune effectively and apply other sustainable farming techniques.
The country has earned $4.8 million for reducing nearly 1 million tons of carbon emissions caused by deforestation and forest degradation—with up to $45 million expected by the end of 2024. The bulk of these payments (69%) will go to farmer groups and local communities that are achieving results. These communities have created shaded cocoa systems and are ultimately responsible for halting the expansion of cocoa and food crop farms into forest reserves. They have also helped to reduce illegal logging, illegal mining, and wildfires.
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