Sixty-five per cent of farmers in the Sui River in the Western North region landscape invested in climate adaptation, a report that shines a spotlight on the transformative power of regenerative agriculture in West and Central Africa has revealed. 

In addition, over 583,000 tree seedlings were planted, and 54,000 trees registered as part of a pilot process implemented by the Forestry Commission of Ghana.

The report was put together by the Rainforest Alliance, an international non-profit organisation that works to restore the balance between people and nature.

The Sui River is part of a larger landscape that includes five forest reserves which form part of West Africa’s most important cocoa-growing regions.

The Sui River landscape is under pressure due to agricultural expansion, deforestation, poor land management and climate change.

Report

The Rainforest Alliance’s 2024 Annual Report shines a spotlight on the transformative power of regenerative agriculture in West and Central Africa, where rural communities are not only adapting to climate challenges but leading the charge in restoring ecosystems and building resilient livelihoods.

It highlighted the progress made by the Rainforest Alliance in making global agriculture more regenerative, restoring nature and strengthening rural communities.

The report also emphasises the organisation's evolution from traditional sustainability approaches to regenerative practices that actively restore ecosystems, build climate resilience and enable communities to thrive. 

Support

The Chief Executive Officer of Rainforest Alliance, Santiago Gowland, said after supporting nearly eight million farmers and workers across more than six million hectares of certified farmland in 62 countries, the organisation would continue to demonstrate impact in creating a future where people and nature thrive.

“Tropical forests are still falling at an alarming rate—10 football fields a minute—and the climate crisis is accelerating, pushing our world toward a dangerous tipping point and driving unprecedented biodiversity loss.”

“Meanwhile, many farming and forest communities still struggle daily to meet basic needs,” he said.

Transition

Mr Gowland said the time had come to transition to a new model of agriculture where every cup of coffee and every bar of chocolate gives back more than it takes from the land and the people who cared for it.

With approximately 500 million people living in farming areas near tropical forests, with 80 per cent living in poverty, he said Rainforest Alliance would continue to commit to regenerative agriculture to address a critical global challenge

“These forests serve as vital carbon stores, helping to regulate global climate, support freshwater systems and maintain countless natural processes essential for planetary health,” Mr Gowland said.