Background

Kakum National Park in Ghana’s Central Region is a vital rainforest ecosystem that faces significant threats, such as deforestation, land degradation, and biodiversity loss. The Ghana Cocoa Forest Reduction of Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation Program, supported by the Cocoa and Forests Initiative, addresses these challenges by focusing on Hotspot Intervention Areas, which use community-based governance models to improve land management. Since 2019, the Lindt Cocoa Foundation has supported the Nature Conservation Research Centre to implement a landscape approach in the Kakum area, expanding efforts to over 96,000 hectares through partnerships. Phase II of the project specifically targets the ACOA Sub-Hotspot Intervention Area, with a focus on governance, biodiversity protection, and sustainable cocoa production aligned with a 20-year vision and a 5-year management plan.

Key figures

  • Country and region(s): Ghana

  • Project duration: August 2024–July 2027

  • Implementation partner: Nature Conservation Research Centre (NCRC)

  • Further partners: Wildlife Division, private sector companies

  • Direct and indirect stakeholders: Actors involved in cocoa sustainability

  • Focus areas covered: Ecosystem protection and regeneration

  • Budget: CHF 330,037

Main objectives

The overall goal of the project is to promote sustainable cocoa farming, protect biodiversity, and improve farmer livelihoods through community-led governance and conservation efforts. The main objectives are:

  • Support community-based governance groups to manage the landscape effectively and sustainably.

  • Promote biodiversity conservation through enhanced patrolling, wildlife deterrents, and conflict mitigation strategies.

  • Improve environmental monitoring systems to generate insights for adaptive management over the next three years

  • Collaborate with local communities and authorities to address illegal activities, human-wildlife conflict, and long-term sustainability solutions, including exploring fair relocation options for farms within protected areas.