The Wassa Amenfi Cocoa Landscape Initiative (WACLI), led by Preferred by Nature in collaboration with consortium partners Ferrero Group, Rikolto Ghana, Solidaridad West Africa, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), and Touton, has embarked on a monitoring and evaluation exercise in Asankragwa and surrounding communities in the Wassa Amenfi West to assess the progress and impact of the initiative’s interventions within the project landscape.

The exercise seeks to engage with beneficiary communities and cocoa farmers and monitor the progress made towards the implementation and adoption of key interventions such as planting of a diversity of trees, multi-purpose fruit trees and timber trees as climate-smart cocoa agroforestry practices, and income-diversification options, including the village savings and loans associations and establishment of youth-led farming enterprises and community-led local businesses. The monitoring was also used to identify areas that require improvement to ensure the long-term sustainability of the project and further strengthen collaboration with key stakeholders in the project landscape.

Speaking in an interview, a Project Specialist of WACLI, Mr. Padmore Boateng Ansah, highlighted the key objectives of the initiative. He noted that the project is focused on promoting sustainable cocoa production, improving farmers’ livelihoods through on- and off-farm income diversification, strengthening environmental conservation efforts, and enhancing resilience within cocoa-growing communities in the Wassa Amenfi cocoa landscape.

According to him, the monitoring exercise is essential in assessing the project’s impact, gathering feedback from stakeholders, and informing adaptive learning to ensure that the initiative continues to deliver meaningful and lasting benefits to communities within the cocoa landscape.

“We are here to conduct monitoring, while our officers on the ground continue to provide  support and extension services to farmers and communities. As a project consortium, we jointly visit the landscape every quarter to engage stakeholders, hold multi-stakeholder meetings, and interact directly with farmers to understand their challenges, experiences, and the progress of cocoa production within the area.

As part of the exercise, we are also visiting our demonstration farms, which serve as practical learning centres for farmers. These farms allow farmers to observe and apply the knowledge and techniques shared with them, ensuring that the training provided goes beyond theory and translates into practical results.In addition, we have visited some Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs) and income-generating initiatives, all of which form part of the project’s interventions aimed at improving livelihoods and promoting resilience within the cocoa landscape. We want to understand what is working well that can be scaled and identify areas where improvements can be made.,” he said.

The Wassa Amenfi Cocoa Landscape Initiative (WACLI) is a 5-year multi-stakeholder partnership, which began in 2023 with funding from the Danida Green Business Partnerships of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ferrero Group. The WACLI , seeks to reduce poverty, support regenerative farming and climate-smart agroforestry and create an enabling environment to tackle deforestation, rehabilitation and forest protection via a multi-stakeholder platform and research in 50 cocoa-growing communities in Wassa Amenfi West.

The project seeks to engage 5000 farmers and additional 3000 community members, with a focus on women and youth to enhance profitability, strengthen livelihoods, and build climate resilience within the landscape.

Speaking on the role and progress of the Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs), Mr. Jonathan Owusu, Project Officer for Rikolto Ghana, highlighted the impact the groups have made so far under the project.

“Sustainable cocoa farming is capital-intensive, and there is the need for farmers to have access to financial support that they can reinvest into their farms. This informed the introduction of the VSLAs under the project.

As part of the initiative, farmers have also been trained in financial literacy, particularly on the importance of savings and proper financial management and governance of the VLSAs. Over the past year, we have witnessed significant progress among many of the groups. Through the savings they mobilize, members are now able to access loans to invest in their farms as well as support other needs, including the welfare of their families,” he said.

Madam Joyce Amponsah, a member of one of the VSLAs shared the benefits she has gained from joining the group.

“It has helped me a lot. Whenever I need financial support to hire laborers to work on my farm, it is now easier for me because I can access loans from the group to support my farming activities. The VSLA has also helped me to develop the habit of saving part of the income I generate from my farm,” she said.

The exercise saw the participation of representatives from Touton, Rikolto Ghana, Solidaridad West Africa, IITA, and the administrative partner of the project, Preferred by Nature.

Preferred by Nature is a global non-profit organization working to support better land management and business practices that benefit people, nature, and climate. The organization has 30+ years’ experience in sustainable land management through certification, mission-driven projects, advisory services, and training aimed at promoting sustainability in commodity supply chains.

It also supports businesses in implementing responsible sourcing practices, monitoring supply chains, and reducing environmental impacts through consulting services and risk assessments.