Community rescued from devastation in dying cocoa trees and ecology

Timeabu, a farming community in the Ashanti region of Ghana, has in the past experienced levels of devastation of cocoa trees as a result of bad weather and poor rainfall with adverse impact on production.

To protect dying cocoa trees and the local ecology, the Centre for Climate Change and Food Security (CCCFS), a Ghanaian-based non-governmental organization, has adopted the community to pilot a tree planting program.

Since December 2017, the Centre has planted 200 trees on cocoa farms and other areas of the community, in addition to sensitization on best farming practices.

A beneficiary, Nana Dasebere Boama Darko, says the farmers are excited the trees will relieve them of severe weather condition and help provide the needed shade to nourish their crops.

The Centre plans to extend the exercise to other communities across the country.

“Protecting the ecology is very important. We are likely to live a shameful life if trees continue to die everyday,” said Mahmud Mohammed-Nurudeen, Executive Director of CCCFS. “Planting of the trees is also to sequester carbon, and help remove carbon dioxide from the air, which cools the earth.”

Despite their importance to life, humans have cut down half of the world's trees.

“Every year we cut down over 50,000 square miles of forest worldwide for paper, agriculture, building materials and fuel,” observed Mohammed-Nurudeen. 

Several research have proven that carbon release from deforestation accounts for 25 to 30 percent of the four to five billion tons of carbon accumulating every year in the atmosphere from human activities.

Climate Change advocate, Kofi Adu Domfeh, who is among lead supporters of the tree planting exercise, emphasized the need to put the trees back “any way we can, as fast as we can”.

“What you may not know is that trees also build soil and offer energy-saving shade that reduces global warming,” he said. “We want to create habitat for thousands of different species and also help to reduce ozone levels.”

The initiative is also supported by the Economy for the Common Good and senior officers of the Ghana Cocoa Board, Fuad Mohammed and Asante Abednago, who have committed to the community outreach to help rural farmers contribute to the government's target of producing one million tonnes of cocoa.

The CCCFS aims to provide enabling environment for all species, make issues of food security relevant and tackle climate change head-on to make Ghana a better place to live.

By 3news.com

Community outreach motivates Timeabu farmers to appreciate the business of farming

Farmers at Timeabu are excited at opportunities to improve their levels of production and productivity, following a community outreach program spearheaded by the Centre for Climate Change and Food Security (CCCFS), a not-for-profit organization.
 

The predominantly cocoa production community in the Ejisu-Juabeng Municipality of Ashanti region has in years past experienced challenges in accessing information and farm inputs to enhance their cocoa operations.

“We don’t even know which district is responsible for the marketing of our cocoa produce,” lamented local chief farmer, Mohammed Haruna.

Other production challenges faced by the over 100 farmers include erratic supply of pesticides, access to improved seedlings, poor marketing systems and upholding best agronomic practices.

The community outreach event offered a platform for the farmers to get their challenges addressed whilst shaping other perceptions and practices that impede higher production.

CCCFS engaged cocoa and agricultural officers to sensitize and help address the concerns of the farmers – some of the farmers had instant solutions to their issues, whilst others received assurance of a short-term intervention.

A Senior Research Officer at the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Fuad Abubakar, encouraged the farmers to desist from over- reliance on government for support but invest in their farming as a business.

"Treat it as any business venture and give it the all attention it needs. Surely, it will pay you back," he emphasized.

Mr. Abubakar said the farmers can position themselves to reap higher returns if they see their venture as any private business entity.

Bekwai District Cocoa Officer, Abednagao Asante, commended CCCFS for the initiative and promised to make available requested inputs by the farmers.

He acknowledged his responsibility to help turn around the fortunes of the farmers.

The farmers, at the end of the session, expressed renewed hope to turn round their fortunes with increased production in the seasons ahead.

"We promise ourselves that this will be the time for us to make farming a real business. We also promise to get better organized, and budget our time and money better on farming," said one of the farmers.

The Timeabu community is also challenged with access to electricity and teachers to handle the only primary school in the area, a situation they appeal for government’s support.

A stream, serving as the main source of drinking water for the community, has also been polluted from upstream as a result of illegal mining activities.

Board Member of the Centre for Climate Change and Food Security, Kofi Adu Domfeh, cautioned the farmers against giving away their farmlands for artisanal mining purposes if they are to be financially and environmentally secured.

“Don’t be lured to sell your lands for galamsey,” he said. “Yes, you may reap the benefit now but the real consequences of the activities may stay for ages; our lands, trees and water bodies are under threat of extinction and we need to secure the future for the next generation.”

Mr. Domfeh shared his experience from other countries where farmer cooperatives thrive and enjoined the local farmers to join forces to get issues addressed collectively.

CCCFS has committed to take the community outreach program to other deprived farming communities in Ghana.

The Centre’s goal is to empower depressed farming economies to be among the resolution-makers determined to make a difference for improved livelihoods.

 

CCCFS has other uniquely designed programs to promote environmental and climate change awareness in schools, and promote farming as a lucrative venture for young people.

These include ‘Food for Africa’, which involves a group of agriculture enthusiasts across Africa and beyond sharing ideas on a common platform to promote food production.

The centre also runs the ‘Young Aspiring African Farmers’ initiative.

Campaign against food waste and overeating launched in Ghana

Ghana’s Centre for Climate Change and Food Security (CCCFS) has launched a project to help minimize the misuse and waste of food among the populace.

Dubbed "Campaign Against Food Waste and Overeating", the project is to encourage Ghanaians to make judicious use of available food at their disposal.

Though there is no readily available statistics, it is believed that most Ghanaians waste more food than they consume. 

The two key components of the project are to reduce food waste and over-eating which contribute to about 20 percent of the world food being lost.

At the launch of the project, Executive Director of CCCFS, Mahmud Mohammed-Nurudeen, enjoined the citizenry to eat less animal products, and help reduce the global growing trend of food insecurity.

He said students particularly have a pivotal role to play in the prevention of food waste to help prevent damage to the environment.

"If we continue to throw away food and litter around, then we are just preparing a dangerous environment for the future generations," he said. 

The project is also part of efforts to reduce the billions of tonnes of food lost to ensure everyone has access to a safe, affordable and nutritious diet.

According to scientists at the University of Edinburgh, the world population consumes around 10 per cent more food than it needs, while almost nine per cent is thrown away or left to spoil.

The researchers at the University examined ten key stages in the global food system including food consumption as well as the growing and harvesting of crops to quantify the extent of losses.

According to the research, almost half of harvested crops or 2.1 billion tonnes are lost through over-consumption, consumer waste and inefficiencies in production processes.

They found out that, almost 20 per cent of the food made available to consumers is lost through over-eating or waste.

Livestock production is the least efficient process, with losses of 78 per cent or 840 million tonnes, the team found. Some 1.08 billion tonnes of harvested crops are used to produce 240 million tonnes of edible animal products including meat, milk and eggs.

This stage alone accounts for 40 per cent of all losses of harvested crops, researchers say.

Dr. Peter Alexander, of the University of Edinburgh's School of GeoSciences and Scotland's Rural College, who led the study, said: "Reducing losses from the global food system would improve food security and help prevent environmental harm. Until now, it was not known how over-eating impacts on the system. Not only is it harmful to health, we found that over-eating is bad for the environment and impairs food security."

The Centre for Climate Change and Food Security has therefore taken upon itself to educate young Ghanaians, especially students, on the need to avoid food waste and overeating. 

The project was launched as part of the Centre's seminar on the theme: "Today's Climate, Who Should Be Concerned?" held at the University for Development Studies UDS, Wa campus in the Upper West Region. 

Ghana Bureau Chief for ClimateReporters, Kofi Adu Domfeh encouraged students to show more concern in the protection of the environment. 

He said the students can be agents of change in educating Ghanaians about the effects of the changing climate. 

He cited an instant where a farmer at Atebubu in the Brong Ahafo region lost all his crops due to prolonged drought.

Mr. Domfeh also challenged the students to begin a campus campaign on environmental tidiness.

CCCFS has been recommending and implementing policies to safeguard the environment and protect farmers’ livelihoods. 

The Centre also embarks on research works that seek to address issues of climate change, food security and agribusiness.