Farmers across Cocoa growing communities in the country have received Emission Reduction Payments from the Ghana Cocoa Forest REDD+ programme at the Forestry Commission Training Center at Ejisu in the Ashanti region.
Mr. Benito Owusu Bio, Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources and Member of Parliament for Nwabiagya North, in a key note address explained that “the Cocoa/Forest REDD+ Sika no aba” is a wonderful feat achieved by Ghana, being the second African country after Mozambique, to receive REDD+ results-based payments from the Carbon Fund of the World Bank.
According to him, in 2018, as the Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources and also Chairman of the Natural REDD+ Working Group, he led a technical team of experts to Paris, France, to successfully defend the acceptance of the Ghana Cocoa-Forest REDD+ Programme (GCFRP) into the Carbon Fund portfolio, during the 16th Meeting of the Carbon Fund.
He said the disbursement of the first carbon payment under the GCFRP, to agreed programme beneficiaries was in line with the 2012 Forest and Wildlife Policy and as the Premier programme in Ghana’s REDD+ Strategy launched in 2016.
The GCFRP, he noted, sought to halt and reverse deforestation and forest degradation, driven by expansionist Cocoa production activities, illegal mining, illegal logging and wood fuel extraction.
He noted that, the ten programme anticipates that if these measures are done at a jurisdictional scale, about 10 million tonnes of emission reductions will be realized in six years, as has been designed to produce both carbon and non-carbon benefits.
The minister indicated that, the non-carbon benefits are direct increases in Cocoa yield and other food crops production and provision of alternative livelihoods while the Carbon payments represent negotiated Carbon payments for third party verified Emission reductions.
He said the ministry recognises the hard work, dedication and relentless efforts of all stakeholders and extended the gratitude of the Government of Ghana and the Ministry for Lands and Natural Resources to the Forestry Commission and its coordinating partner, the Ghana Cocoa Board for making the implementation of the programme a reality.
He also lauded the traditional authorities and farmers, particularly Cocoa farmers and local communities who believed in the fight against deforestation and forest degradation, the adoption of climate-smart practices and made it possible for all these interventions and ideas to be realised, while receiving their benefits directly into their own bank accounts without any third party interference.
Mr. Owusu Bio appreciated the CSOs and NGOs, other Government Agencies and the Private sector for providing both financial and technical support and not relenting in their dedicated support to the programme.
He reiterated that, the GCFRP Carbon payments were received in the Country in January this year but a number of due diligence processes and requirements had to be fulfilled according to the World Bank due process to enhance accountability and transparency in the disbursement of funds.
He said as part of the in-country governance arrangements, a REDD+ Dedicated Account Steering Committee was constituted with Government, Traditional Authority, Private Sector and CSO representatives.
The minister revealed that the group is chaired by the Ministry of Finance and commended the work of the Committee and particularly the Ministry of Finance for chairing the Committee excellently to a time when they can transfer and make payments.
Mr. Andy Okrah, the Director of the Forestry Commission Training Centre said the training unit for the Forestry Commission is the centre for Excellence in provision of holistic and technical and professional training in forestry, Wildlife and Wood Industry that is training FC Staff and all their stakeholders.
He stated that, the Centre has designed a training course on climate change mitigation and resilient practices to support farmers and other stakeholders to improve sustainable practices that promote and protect rural livelihoods.
Ms. Rosslyn Fosua Adjei, Director, Climate change Directorate of Forest Commission, disclosed that Ghana government got the first Readiness preparation plan (R+PP) done and approved, while the mid-term progress report and request for additional funding was also done and approved in 2014, which two milestones were achieved in 2016 when Ghana developed and launched the REDD+ strategy which serve as the blueprint to REDD+ implementation in Ghana and also the readiness package which set the tone of readiness for Ghana to start an Emission Reduction programme.
