The Country Manager of Cocoa and Forest Initiative of the World Cocoa Foundation, Vincent Awotwe-Pratt has called on farmers to patronize the Comprehensive Cocoa Management Systems (CCMS) initiated by COCOBOD and the Cocoa and Forest Initiative (CFI) of the World Cocoa Foundation.

The CCMS is a data-gathering system meant to generate and centralize data such as the actual number of cocoa farmers and the locations of their farms in Ghana, the size of cocoa farms, as well as the characteristics and output of their cocoa lands, all in an attempt to digitize, improve transparency in the cocoa sector as well make all payments in the cocoa sector cashless. It is also aimed at enhancing effective cocoa traceability in the cocoa sector.

Mr Awotwe-Pratt made this call whiles speaking at a high-level landscape forum organized by the Cocoa and Forest Initiative (CFI) Secretariat in partnership with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, IDH Sustainable Trade Initiative and the World Cocoa Foundation.

The programme was to inform and provide appropriate explanations about CFI to key landscape stakeholders at the Kakum Hotspot Intervention Area (HIA) to build a strong link between CFI Secretariat and key landscape actors to solicit support towards CFI sensitization at the forest fringe and cocoa-growing communities. The Country Manager of Cocoa and Forest Initiative of the World Cocoa Foundation, revealed that the initiative is aimed at eliminating cocoa-related deforestation and to restore forest areas.

Nana Akomea Ntrakwa (III), Akyeamehene of Twifo Traditional Area, on his part, expressed the willingness of traditional leaders to support CFI at the cocoa landscape and ensure communities and farmers understood the objectives of CFI and what it meant in practice. He highlighted the three pillars of CFI as ‘Forest Protection and Restoration’, ‘Sustainable Production and Farmers Livelihood’ as well as ‘Community Engagement and Social Inclusion‘. Nana Ntrakwa then encouraged the implementing partners to leverage existing and on-going initiatives to avoid duplication.

The Senior Programmes Manager of IDH- Sustainable Trade Initiative, Mr Charles Brefo-Nimo, urged stakeholders to share the knowledge acquired from the programme with their various institutions, particularly at the local community level.

Otumfour Amoah Sasraku (lV), Paramount Chief of Twifo Hemang Traditional Area who chaired the programme also urged all participants to work together to halt deforestation and forest degradation since the forest provided ecosystem services to mitigate against climate change.

Expressing appreciation towards the organized programme, Mr Daniel Appiah, a participant said the programme was insightful and educative and he hope to see such forum being organized more often and extended to the grassroots to broaden the knowledge of cocoa farmers.

In attendance for the programme were stakeholders from the various security sectors, judges, Traditional Authorities, District Assemblies, COCOBOD, Forestry Commission, and Lands commission. The Office of Administrator of Stool Lands, National Disaster Management Organization, Private Cocoa Buying Companies, Civil Society Organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations and Cocoa Cooperatives within the Kakum HIA were also present.