What is the name of your organization?
Kuapa Kokoo Cooperative Cocoa Farmers and Marketing Union Limited
What is the name of your solution?
Alliances for Sankofa Project
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
Reviving Ghana's cocoa sector with carbon-credit agroforestry
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Kumasi, Ghana
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
GHA
What type of organization is your solution team?
Nonprofit
Film your elevator pitch.
What specific problem are you solving?
Ghana's cocoa crisis has reached catastrophic levels, with the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) reporting in 2024 that 81% of the country's cocoa-growing area (330,456 of 410,229 hectares) is now infected with Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease (CSSVD). This compounds existing challenges of aging trees (30% over 30 years old) and climate change impacts, collectively reducing productivity by 40-60% across an industry supporting 800,000 families. With farmers earning less than $1/day, which is below the extreme poverty line, economic desperation has forced families into harmful survival strategies. 55% of cocoa-growing households rely on child labour, while others turn to illegal gold mining (galamsey). This destructive practice not only removes children from school but also poisons over 30,000 hectares of farmland annually through mercury contamination. Without intervention, Ghana risks losing its position as the world’s second cocoa producer within a decade, with catastrophic consequences for rural livelihoods and global chocolate supply chains.
What is your solution?
The Sankofa Project combats Ghana's cocoa crisis through regenerative agroforestry, replacing aging and CSSVD-infected trees with disease-resistant cocoa intercropped with Forestry Commission-registered shade trees. Our model provides three income streams by providing premium cocoa, carbon credits through Ghana's domestic tree registration system, and quick-yield cash crops between tree rows. This approach triples farm incomes within 5 years while sequestering carbon and restoring soil health reducing pressure for child labor and illegal mining. By working within Ghana's national frameworks and in partnership with organizations like the ITC Alliances for Action, we leverage their expertise in sustainable trade and market access to ensure our farmers benefit from premium markets. This collaboration not only enhances our impact but also strengthens the resilience of Ghana's cocoa sector, creating sustainable livelihoods for thousands of farmers.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
The Sankofa project empowers Ghana’s cocoa farmers, particularly women and youth, who face collapsing yields from aging trees, CSSVD, and degraded soils. These farmers, who produce over 80% of Ghana’s cocoa yet earn less than $1/day, are often forced to rely on child labor or illegal mining as their farms fail. Our solution directly uplifts them through regenerative agroforestry, replacing unproductive trees with disease-resistant cocoa and Forestry Commission-registered shade species that qualify for carbon revenue. This approach triples incomes within five years by combining premium cocoa sales, carbon credits, and fast-yielding intercrops, with women retaining 100% profits from intercrop harvests. By restoring farm productivity, we reduce pressure for child labor and provide youth with alternatives to mining through training in agro-entrepreneurship and carbon monitoring. In partnership with the ITC, we ensure market linkages that connect farmers to premium buyers, further enhancing income generation through climate-smart practices. Farmers gain lasting tools to heal their land, while connecting to climate-smart markets that value their role as environmental stewards. Sankofa Cocoa Forest doesn’t just revive farms; it rebuilds rural livelihoods, offering women financial autonomy, youth viable futures, and communities a path out of poverty through Ghana’s own sustainable systems