From Degraded Land to Thriving Farms: A Regeneration Story in Ghana's Cocoa Belt

The document details the impact of the Restore Local initiative and TerraFund in Ghana's Cocoa Belt, where farmers are transitioning from monocropping to agroforestry. By integrating native trees, fruit trees, and beekeeping, farmers are combating soil erosion and climate instability while diversifying their income streams. The initiative has supported 15 non-profits and five local enterprises, resulting in 4.1 million trees planted and 9,300 hectares under restoration, contributing toward Ghana's national goal of restoring 2 million hectares of degraded land by 2030.

• Illegal cocoa farming caused the loss of more than 13% of Ghana's forest cover between 2001 and 2017, leading to the loss of nutrient-rich topsoil and a subsequent drop in crop yields.
• Agroforestry practices, including the integration of native trees and fruit trees (such as mango, coconut, and orange), protect cocoa crops from erratic rainfall and rising heat by stabilizing the microclimate and preventing soil erosion.
• Integrating beekeeping into cocoa farms provides farmers with a steady alternative income stream and encourages the preservation of trees, which are necessary for bee food and shelter.
• Through the Restore Local initiative and TerraFund, 15 non-profits and five local enterprises in Ghana's Cocoa Belt have planted 4.1 million trees, created 6,400 jobs, and placed 9,300 hectares under restoration.
• These local restoration efforts contribute to Ghana's national target under the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100) to restore 2 million hectares of degraded land by 2030.

APA

World Resources Institute (2025). From Degraded Land to Thriving Farms: A Regeneration Story in Ghana's Cocoa Belt. https://www.wri.org/insights/restoring-land-ghana-cocoa-belt

Chicago

World Resources Institute. From Degraded Land to Thriving Farms: A Regeneration Story in Ghana's Cocoa Belt. 2025. https://www.wri.org/insights/restoring-land-ghana-cocoa-belt.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=From Degraded Land to Thriving Farms: A Regeneration Story in Ghana's Cocoa Belt |date=15 October 2025 |url=https://www.wri.org/insights/restoring-land-ghana-cocoa-belt |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2025from, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{From Degraded Land to Thriving Farms: A Regeneration Story in Ghana's Cocoa Belt}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2025}, month = oct, url = {https://www.wri.org/insights/restoring-land-ghana-cocoa-belt}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }