This is one of the presentations at the 1st day of "Technical Exchange on Jurisdictional REDD". See more at: http://www.idesam.org.br/technical-exchange-on-jurisdictional-redd-presentations/

1. National Vision for Developing a
Cocoa Forest REDD+ Program in Ghana
YAW KWAKYE
National REDD+ Secretariat
Manaus, Brazil, June 2013

2. Introduction
• In 1911, Ghana became #1 global cocoa producer.
• 100 years later, Ghana achieved a production
milestone - 1 million metric tons/annum.
• Top producer of premium quality beans
• Ghana’s cocoa sector is a $ 1.5 billion industry.
• But much of sector’s growth has come at the
expense of forests.

3. Cocoa Forest REDD+ Program
• High Tech programs started in 2001 to increase yields and boost
national production to 1 million metric tons/annum.
• Results showing promise- achieved target in 2011
• But area under cocoa has doubled (1.8 million ha)
• Yields increasing but still low (- 400 kg/ha)
• Off-Reserve forests gone, Forest Reserves and National Parks are
under threat.
• REDD+ program will transform BAU scenario to sustainable,
climate-smart cocoa sector.

4. Desired State
Ghana’s 20 year emissions reduction cocoa production system
• Program area of 2.5 million ha grouping 16 local districts
• Current national production will be grown on 40% of current land
area
• Yields increased by nearly 200+% (400 kg/ha → 1100 kg/ha)
• Farmers retaining and planting shade trees (40% canopy cover)
• Carbon emissions per ton of cocoa produced dropped by 90%
(20 tons C / ton cocoa produced to 2 tons C / ton of cocoa
produced)
• Reduce threat to Forest Reserves
• New forests and tree cover

5. Desired State
Ghana’s 20 year REDD+ cocoa production system

6. New Cocoa Product
Ghana to be top global
producer of premium quality
climate-smart cocoa beans
• Sustainable production system
• Ensuring livelihoods of hundreds
of thousands of Ghanaians
Government
Interest
• Security of supply
• Long term access to markets
Private
Sector
Interest

7. Forest Resources
HFZ covers 9 million ha
• 2.5 million ha in Forest Reserves
• 6.5 million ha in off-reserve
Forest Reserves degraded
Off-Reserve converted to
tree crops & agriculture
Terrestrial carbon stocks
• 7.46 GtCO2e
• Majority in the HFZ

8. Deforestation & Degradation
• No clear numbers on degradation
– 84% of Forest Reserves degraded or
worse.
• National deforestation rate
estimated at 2.0% nationally
– Losing 135,000 ha annually
– Recognition that rate ranges widely
• Recent assessment in program
area shows 2.8% - 6.1%

9. 2.8% deforestation rate
1986
2000
2011
6.1% deforestation rate
Over past 25 years average 4.3%/yr
Forest ●
Shaded Cocoa /Secondary Forest ●
No Shade Cocoa / Bush Fallow ●
Agriculture ●
Settlement ●

10. Cocoa Forest REDD+ Program
Ecological
Soil
Climate
E.R. potential
Agronomic
Dominant
production
areas
Impact of
inputs
Socio-
Political
Grouping of
Political
Districts with
Cultural
importance of
cocoa
Presence of
programs,
projects
Co-
Benefits
Livelihoods
Biodiversity
Factors Influencing Selection of Proposed Area:

11. Soil
• Most important agronomic
variable for cocoa.
• Current national production
could be grown on ¼ current
hectares cultivated
• Best soils are fertile, good
organic content, good moisture
retention, respond to inputs
• Other soil types are unsuitable

12. Current & Future Climate Suitability
Laderach et al 2012

13. Past & Present Cocoa Trends

14. Co-Benefits
Livelihoods
• 800,000+ cocoa farm families
• 30% of Ghanaians rely upon the sector
• Yield increases will have major poverty reduction impact
• Should cocoa decline due to climate change & loss forest
ecosystem services, devastating livelihood impact
• Women represent approx. 50% of cocoa households, but
disproportionately low access to cocoa resources
Biodiversity
• Program area encompasses national parks, GSBA, biologically
diverse Forest Reserves
• Direct correlation between intensification and loss biological
diversity on-farm
• Insects, soil fauna play critical role in pollination and maintenance
of soil fertility

15. Time Frame & Accounting
Phases
• 20 year (2015-2035)
• Design Phase (2013-
2015)
• Complete R-Package
• In line with development of
FIP projects
• Investment Phase (2016-
2018)
• Performance Payments
Phase (2019-2035)
Accounting
• Utilize national registry
database being designed
under R-PP to account
for all AFOLU accounting
• Link to World Bank CARS
system or VCS for
international
transactional accounting

16. Implementation Partners
Government Private Sector &
Industry Bodies
Civil Society / NGOs
Cocoa Board (Cocobod) Banks National House of Chiefs
Forestry Commission Insurance Companies Traditional Authorities
MLNR Licensed Buying
Companies
NGOs
MoFEP Chocolate Companies CREMA communities
MoFA Industry Foundations REDD+ Pilot Proponents
CRIG Certification Bodies Farmer Associations
District Assemblies Multilateral
Development
Institutions

17. Key Interventions
Institutional
Collaboration
Cocoa Board,
MLNR, FC
FIP has started
Needs to be
expanded,
strengthened
Policy Reforms
Priority area
R-PP & FIP
taking lead
Further
reforms
needed
Increase Yields
Primary focus
of cocoa
industry
Limited
success
Happening in
isolation
De-Risk Cocoa
Farming
Many risks for
farmer
Expand access
to credit
Need
insurance
Landscape
Planning
Total absence
in cocoa
sector
Policies largely
in place
Need to
implement
Data
Management
Should be
Cocoa Board
platform
Necessary for
climate-smart
Manage
sector data
In isolation, no single measure can be effective to
increasing sustainability and achieving desired state.

18. Reference Emissions Level
• Historic approach
• 20 year program
• Above ground carbon
pool
• Conservative
deforestation rate of
2.3%
• Two strata
Intact
Forest
• 120 tC/ha
• 845,000 ha
Shaded
Cocoa
• 70 tC/ha
• 800,000 ha

19. Total Expected ERs 131,616,930.60 tCO₂
50% program performance factor
Potential ERs

20. Social Environmental Impacts
• Three impact assessment procedures & requirements will be
applied during program process:
– R-PP describes clear process to assess impacts
– Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) procedures of EPA
– SESA requirements of MDB Will build off of processes conducted by R-PP
and FIP initiatives
• Program development process to identify social and
environmental impacts and assess co-benefits
• Where necessary, will prepare mitigation instruments
• Safeguard measures will be outlined

21. Scenario and MRV
• Ghana intends to follow VCS scenario 2 with
crediting to jurisdiction and project levels.
• MRV system will be designed for tracking
deforestation, degradation, forestation and
enhancement of carbon stocks in program.
• Will be a sub-system of national REDD+ MRV
system.

22. Financing
Preliminary estimates of the cost of Ghana’s ER
Program over 20 years: US$ 2,067,000,000
Source US Dollars
FCPF R-PP funds 2,000,000
FIP funds 5,000,000
FCPF Carbon Fund 50,000,000
Private Cocoa Sector 2,000,000,000
Government of Ghana 10,000,000

23. Thank you