Cocoa farmers in the Atwima Mponua District have been urged to adopt climate-smart farming practices to boost cocoa production in the district.

Kwame Kyere Pumpuni, a Community Liaison Officer for the Resource Conservation Initiative (RESCONI), said that the motivation behind this initiative is to ensure a decent living income for cocoa farmers.

For him, it will help advance the elimination of child labour and trafficking in cocoa supply chains and also help strengthen forest protection and restoration in cocoa-producing regions.

He explained that his organisation is planning future engagements and collaborations between various stakeholders and state actors such as the Forestry Commission (FC), Ghana Education Service (GES), District Assemblies, Basic and Junior High Schools (JHS), other local NGOs and the Community leaders towards devising new and innovative solutions to inspire a shift in the approach to forest protection and reforestation.

Resource Conservative Initiative (RESCONI) in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service (GES), the Atwima Mponua District Assembly, the Leadership and the good people of Anwiafutu on this day, the 21st day of March 2024 commemorated the International Day of Forests at the Anwiafutu D/A Basic School.

The theme for the event; “Forest and Innovation: New Solutions for a Better World” was the focal point for the whole event.

The event hosted the Assembly Member of the Anwiafutu Electoral Area, a Representative of the Ghana Education Service, Community Opinion Leaders, the Headmaster of the D/A Basic School and a team representing RESCONI.

The event was a participatory one in which facilitators of the various sessions of the event were enthused to deliver based on the interest of the students perceived from the attentiveness and response to questions and issues presented to them.

A lot of topics about forest and forest management were treated but the great highlights were on the Benefits of forests to Human Existence and the Importance of Sustainable Forest Management which was in line with the theme of the function.

During the interactive sessions, the key issues affecting the forest which include increased illegal mining, sand winning and illegal logging activities in the Atwima Mponua District were highlighted.

The RESCONI Team took advantage of the opportunity to educate the whole house on the suicidal effects of these destructive activities on the forest, water bodies and the environment in general and how they could affect human life.

The major highlights of the events also included contributions from the leadership of the community on the initiatives to reduce and prosecute individuals who undertake these activities.

The students after the various presentations by the RESCONI team pledged to educate, create awareness and volunteer for the course of Sustainable Development Goal 13 (Climate Action), Sustainable Development Goal 15 (Life on Land) and Sustainable Development Goal 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) which led to the establishment and inauguration of an Environmental club named “ADABS Environmental Club” with the motto: Evergreen Ambassadors; Environmental Sustainability is our Priority!

The RESCONI Team pledged that there will be future engagements and collaborations between various stakeholders and state actors such as the Forestry Commission (FC), Ghana Education Service (GES), District Assemblies, Basic and Junior High Schools (JHS), other local NGOs and the Community leaders towards devising new and innovative solutions to inspire a shift in the approach to community perception and involvement in forest protection and reforestation activities.