Annoh-Dompreh Questions Lands Minister Over Cocoa’s Classification in REDD+ Programme

The Member of Parliament for Nsawam-Adoagyir and Minority Chief Whip, Hon. Frank Annoh-Dompreh, has questioned the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources on whether cocoa farms or cocoa-producing areas have been reserved exclusively for the Forestry Commission under the REDD+ programme, and the justification for such a decision.

Addressing Parliament, Hon. Annoh-Dompreh explained that the concept of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) emerged from global efforts to combat climate change under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). He noted that in the early 2000s, scientists established that deforestation and forest degradation accounted for between 10% and 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions, making forest conservation a crucial component of climate mitigation efforts.

According to him, Ghana’s REDD+ programme is a collaborative initiative that engages farmers, private sector actors, and local communities in sustainable cocoa production and forest conservation. The Forestry Commission, he noted, serves as the regulatory and facilitating body in this effort.

Hon. Annoh-Dompreh stated that cocoa was selected as a key commodity under the REDD+ programme because of its significant contribution to forest degradation and deforestation, leading to increased emissions. The Ghana Cocoa REDD+ Programme therefore seeks to promote climate-smart cocoa production, integrate trees into cocoa farming systems, improve farmerh livelihoods, and reduce emissions while protecting Ghana’s forest reserves and biodiversity hotspots.

Report by PKB