Effective utilization of Rainforest Alliance’s $5million Africa Cocoa Fund (ACF) has offered significant support to a number of cocoa farmers in Ghana.
Over 300 certified cocoa farmers have gained alternative livelihood through the implementation of Rainforest Alliance’s Income Diversification program by implementing partner, Millennium Promise Alliance.
A little over thousand cocoa farmers have also been empowered economically by same organisation under a sustainability program on Skills Development.
On the foremost intervention, beneficiaries during the 3-years (first phase) of the project received comprehensive training on rabittary, soap and bread making.
They were also given start up support and a ready market.
These were disclosed by IT Director (Africa) for Millennium Promise Alliance, Mr. Joseph Baah on the sidelines of a meeting between officials of Rainforest Alliance, implementing partners and beneficiaries.
“We set them up and they have started producing on their own.
One of the key things that we needed to consider was the market and so before we started, we did a study to ensure that when they produce, they will get the market.
Anglo Gold is one of the key institutions that is going to buy the rabbits.
We have some people within the local communities who will also participate in the marketing”, he indicated in an interview with newsmen.
“Those who are engaged in soap making are also producing and they are selling in the local markets and in their communities”.
Bread Making
He further indicated that, certified cocoa farmers who were offered training in bread making are also making gains.
“Those at Goaso are actually generating a lot of income for both the farmer groups and
the individual farmers.
So when you go to the community, you will really appreciate how the impact has been.
You will see that farmers who were not having any other alternative income source now has an income source and can boldly tell you that they are generating alternative income for themselves”.
Mr. Baah underlined that, the essence of the implementation of the program through funding support from Rainforest Alliance is to provide certified cocoa farmers alternative work that can earn them income aside cocoa so as to save them from financial difficulties.
Meeting
The engagement with implementing partners and beneficiaries happened on Monday, 28th October, 2024 in Kumasi at NODA Hotel .
Aside marking the official closure of the first phase of the project, the meeting was held to take feedback from participants vis-a-vis impact of the phase one so as to help officials formulate strategies regarding the continuity of the project.
Impression
At the meeting, Maxwell Nyaaba (Finance Manager for Rainforest Alliance) said he is impressed hearing from beneficiaries and implementers on how the project has helped them.
“From the visit, we could see impact, real project implementation happening on the grounds. Touching base with the farmers we could feel that everything went on well from our evaluation”.
ABOUT Rainforest Alliance’s Africa Cocoa Fund
The Rainforest Alliance’s Africa Cocoa Fund (ACF) is a three-year, US$5 million fund to support cocoa farmers and help preserve the local landscapes in West and Central Africa.
The fund supports select sustainability projects of certified smallholder producer groups, cooperatives and farmers or vulnerable members.
All projects are driven by farmers and intend to create a positive impact for the longer term.
Funding supports interventions that build the capacity of certified cocoa farmers.
