Funded by the French Development Agency (AFD) through Noe, the ECONOBIO II projects has the goal of developing green value chains for the benefit of local populations living on the outskirts of biodiversity-rich areas, with the support of the private sector and civil society.
Objectives
- Contribute to the development of sustainable economic sectors in and around protected areas (focus on beekeeping and Shea nut picking and processing which aimed at strengthening the local governance structure for the management of the Community Resource Management Areas (CREMA)
- Improve biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of natural resources by communities
- Sustain the model by strengthening the civil society players and by capitalizing and disseminating the project lessons learnt
Major Achievements
- Operationalization of tripartite Conservation Agreements (CA) between Savannah Fruits Company (Private Sector), 4 CREMAs and A Rocha Ghana.
- Mobilizing, training, equipping and registering 12 Shea Nut /Butter Cooperatives and 12 Beekeeping Cooperatives.
Provision of beehives and sets of Overall suits, veils, hand gloves, wellington boots, smokers and harvesting tools and buckets. - Operationalization of Honey Processing Center to facilitate the aggregation and processing of honey and Wax.
- Support to over 600 shea women, 450 beekeepers, 35 patrollers, 40 nursery workers, 66 CREMA management committees.
- Strengthening Community Forest patrols by revamping and supporting the Community Resource Monitoring Unit (CRMU) in all the CREMA Communities to monitor, record and report activities of wildlife presence, biodiversity, logging, poaching and charcoal activities in the Landscape. With the use of the Open Data Kit (ODK) Collect App and the Event Book System, the 35 member CRMUs have conducted over 200 patrols.
- Rehabilitation of degraded areas with indigenous trees such as shea, dawadawa, rosewood, baobab, papao (Afzelia Africana), kapok, mahogany etc. through Woodlot, Enrichment Planting, Agroforestry and Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR). Over 200,000 seedlings were planted on 450 ha of degraded lands.
- Development and implementation of environmental awareness programs for schools (45 schools) and community members through the formation of environment clubs in schools and radio programs (30 sessions) with an average reach of 10,000 listeners.
- Strengthening the CREMA Structures whereby the Community Resource Management Area (CREMA) plays an important role in the governing and management of resources (forest and wildlife) within a geographical defined area. Election and Capacity building for executive committees.
- Support to the Mole Ecological Landscape Conservation Trust Fund (MELCTF) which is aimed at ensuring long term financing of the CREMA.
Project Duration: 4 YEARS.
Funded by: French Development Agency (AFD)
Project Implementing Lead: A Rocha Ghana
