Once land has been degraded or deforested, it can be an expensive and laborious process to restore it to health and fertility. 

But there are ways of restoring land which can create economic benefits to farmers as well as lasting benefits to the environment, through the engagement of private sector plantation developers.

In Ghana, a Landscape Restoration Project has taken off to develop guidelines for the planning and implementation of forest plantation schemes on off-reserve areas in Ghana.

Kofi Au Domfeh reports…


Sustaining Livelihoods Through Forest Landscape Restoration

Researchers at Ghana’s Crops Research Institute (CRI of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) are promoting an integrated food production system in the country.

The Aquaponics-based Food System (AFS) project combines crop production with fish, poultry and small ruminant rearing. 

The objective is to ensure all year-round food production for enhanced nutrition to the smallholder farmer, whilst offering an attraction for the youth to venture agriculture.

Kofi Adu Domfeh went along with research scientist, Shadrack Kwadwo Amponsah, on a half acre integrated farm in Kumasi.


Integrated food production system in Ghana

Climate finance is one of topical issues of negotiations at the ongoing UN climate change talks in Lima, Peru.

UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, wants provision of adaptation support for developing countries, like Ghana, to be prioritized at COP20.
  
He therefore wants tangible progress made at the talks in solidifying the climate finance regime.

Kofi Adu Domfeh reports…


Climate finance cannot be separated from development finance

Local communities and environmental activities from diverse countries and cultures took to the streets of Lima to demand climate justice from world leaders gathered for the United Nations climate change talks in Peru.

The People's Climate March recorded the biggest crowd in Central Lima in recent times – an estimated 15,000 participants.

As the climate negotiations peak, the marchers on the Global Day of Action are calling for real action from ministers of states attending the conference. Most of them are demanding a shift to 100 per cent clean energy by 2050.

The march follows the delivery of a 2.2 million person petition by 100 children to UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, Peruvian President Ollanta Humala and COP President Manuel Pulgar Vidal at the UN climate talks in Lima.

Kofi Adu Domfeh filed this report from Peru.


Global climate justice carnival hits Lima COP20

A commitment to decarbonize economies and transition to a 100% clean energy future by 2050 has been a vociferous subject at the climate change talks in Lima, Peru.

The decarbonization target is currently in the draft text of the climate agreement – close to 90 countries have voiced their support for the inclusion of a zero-emission target.

But there are fears fossil fuel companies and polluting countries will lobby furiously to get it removed before a deal is signed in Paris. 

‘Dirty Energy’ campaigners believe burning any fossil fuel for economic expansion is bad for the climate.

Dirty energy involves the exploitation of the earth’s resources, especially petroleum, at the expense of the health and economic livelihoods of low-income communities.

A network of NGOs in Africa staged an action against funding for dirty energy and demanded a stop to fossil fuel use by 2050 whilst attention is turned to renewable, efficient energy use.

Kofi Adu Domfeh filed this report from Lima.


Climate campaigners up against funding of dirty energy in Africa

Ghana’s forest areas have over the years being under the threat of illegal chainsaw activities. 

But a new reforestation initiative has shown a high potential to be an alternative and legal source of livelihood and income generation to erstwhile illegal chainsaw operators and lumber carriers.

The pilot plantation development project is happening in some forest districts in the Ashanti, Central and Eastern regions.

Kofi Adu Domfeh visited one of the project communities and filed this report.

Saving Forests through Community Reforestation Initiative

The 20th Session of the UN Conference of Parties (COP20) mobilized more than 100,000 people in Lima, Peru, on the fight against climate change.

As the 12-day climate negotiations peak, local communities and environmental activities from diverse countries and cultures took to the streets of Lima to calling for real climate action.

After two weeks of intense activity, COP20 was able to mobilize and create awareness in citizens about the effects of climate change in the world. 

The over 190 negotiating nations concluded by elaborating the elements of the new agreement, scheduled to be agreed in Paris in late 2015, while also agreeing the ground rules on how all countries can submit contributions to the new agreement during the first quarter of next year.

But countries in Africa were not enthused with the process of building climate resilient economies.

Kofi Adu Domfeh reports on the African negotiation process at the COP20.


Negotiating Climate Vulnerable Lives

Researchers in Ghana are carrying out final harvest of genetically modified (GM) rice on confined experiment fields in the country.

Amidst opposition to introduction of GM crops in the country, the rice trials started in April 2013 after receiving approval from the National Biosafety Committee.

The researchers say they are recording favourable outcomes that will help farmers deal with the effects of climate change and expand rice cultivation in Ghana.

Kofi Adu Domfeh reports…


Ghanaian scientists edge up with GM rice trials

Cocoa, the second largest foreign exchange earner for Ghana, is indeed the cash-cow of the Ghanaian economy.

Recently, the Ghanaian government increased the producer price of the commodity to the excitement of local cocoa farmers.

But the cocoa industry is reeling under the threat of climate change and could as well be a major driver to deforestation.

Increasing production demands expansion of area under cultivation, with the resultant effect of converting forests to farming systems which leads to decline in carbon stocks.

To sustain production, there is the call for the country to explore climate-smart cocoa production practices.

Kofi Adu Domfeh takes a look at what Ghana is doing to ensure the cocoa economy and local livelihoods are sustained.


When The Last Cocoa Tree Dies

Ghana has recently been hit by dire energy crisis, crippling local industries and stagnating economic development.

The country currently needs a sustainable energy source to propel her industrial growth.

Economic watchers had expected the country's nascent oil and gas industry to drive the country to energy self-sufficiency.

But a commitment to decarbonize economies and transition to a 100% clean energy future by 2050 has become a vociferous subject in the lead up to the global climate change agreement in Paris 2015.

The decarbonization target is currently in the draft text of the climate agreement – close to 90 countries have voiced their support for the inclusion of a zero-emission target.

In the following report, Kofi Adu Domfeh looks at what energy alternatives are available for an emerging oil economy like Ghana in the midst of climate change.


Kofi Adu Domfeh

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