Accra: The implementation of the Landscapes and Environmental Agility across the Nation (LEAN) project has concluded with the successful planting of one million trees and seedlings across various regions in Ghana, marking a significant contribution to reforestation efforts. This initiative has also enhanced biodiversity across 250,000 hectares under sustainable land management and has played a crucial role in environmental and natural resources management, while bolstering the resilience of rural communities against climate change.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Massimo Mina, Head of Cooperation at the European Union Delegation to Ghana, spoke at the closing workshop of the LEAN project, highlighting its contributions to conserving biodiversity and improving the livelihoods of local communities in the Savannah, Transition, and Forest belts. The European Union-sponsored project has aided smallholder farmers and communities in restoring vegetative cover, forest reserves, and degraded landscapes, while providing alternative livelihoods to residents.
The EU LEAN project, a four-year initiative, was aimed at supporting national and local efforts to conserve biodiversity, improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, build climate resilience, and reduce emissions from land-use changes across Ghana's high forest, savannah, and transition zones. The project was executed by a consortium led by Rainforest Alliance, World Vision Ghana, Tropenbos Ghana, and EcoCare Ghana.
Mr. Mina noted that through a Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) approach, the project has restored over 420 hectares of degraded lands, created buffers against bushfires, improved biodiversity to support grazing, and restored 255 acres of on-farm agroforestry sites. More than 4,000 beneficiaries, including 2,435 males and 1,168 females, were trained and equipped across seven livelihood diversification enterprises in the three landscapes. These activities included beekeeping, fisheries, mushroom cultivation, small ruminants, snail rearing, piggeries, and vegetable farming.
The Savings for Transformation (S4T) initiative under the LEAN project, involving over 3,000 members in 120 groups (2,194 women and 679 men), has raised over GH? 2 million from 45 communities between 2022 and 2024. Mr. Mina emphasized that these achievements align with the European Union Green Deal, Global Gateway Strategy, and Ghana's commitments under the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals. He commended the implementing partners for their efforts to restore the country's vegetation, expressing the EU's pride in the accomplishments achieved through the LEAN project.
Madam Abena Dufie Woode, the Consortium Lead, expressed satisfaction with the project's outcomes, noting the establishment of two landscape management boards in the Savannah landscape to lead restoration and natural resources management efforts. She reported that many farmers and beneficiaries experienced improved yields on their farms due to the tree planting, particularly in cocoa and cashew farming.
Nicholas Jengre, Country Director of Rainforest Alliance, highlighted the introduction of smallholder farmers to the Village Savings and Loans Scheme through World Vision Ghana, which has fostered a savings culture and provided financial assistance to rural communities. The project also presented five motorbikes to the Landscape Management Board and other partners to ensure sustainability.
