Engagement Principles for the Ghana Cocoa Forest REDD+ Program

After a decade of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) implementation in Ghana, the country has entered a results-based payment phase with the Carbon Fund of the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility and its premier sub-national Emission Reduction Programme. The Climate Change Directorate (National REDD+ Secretariat) of the Forestry Commission (FC) and Ghana Cocoa Board jointly coordinates the programme, which is dubbed the ‘Ghana Cocoa Forest REDD+ Programme’ (GCFRP). The programme seeks to reduce expansionist agricultural production that causes deforestation and forest degradation and restore forest cover by introducing climate smart agricultural practices and other livelihood enhancement packages. The approach to implementation is to activate proposed interventions, including onfarm shade trees, landscape planning and zoning, rural enterprises, improved governance, and reforestation, amongst others, in six initial Hotspot Intervention Areas.