Showcase of Ghana forest restoration grant projects

A little rain never stops farmers or foresters from heading into the field – and in Ghana, even a sky full of dark clouds threatening a downpour wasn’t enough to dampen the spirits of those attending an EFI-led forest restoration event last month.

Highlighting forests, community and collaboration, more than 150 people gathered under tents in the Subri River Forest Reserve in western Ghana for the event celebrating the early successes of four forest restoration projects towards restoring degraded landscapes and supporting community livelihoods.

Held as part of Ghana’s month-long “Tree for Life” initiative in June, the event showcased the four restoration projects taking place under a grant scheme funded by the European Union and implemented by EFI through the EU Sustainable Forest and Cocoa Programme. Attendees from national and regional government agencies, traditional leaders, civil society, farmers, community members and schoolchildren gathered at one of the project sites to learn about the projects and how EFI and the EU are supporting restoration efforts in Ghana. 

The four projects – led by Goshen Global Vision, which hosted the event; Nature & Development Foundation; Proforest; and World Vision Ghana – are striving to restore more than 14,000 hectares of degraded land through community-led agroforestry, natural regeneration and tree planting, and build the capacity of 20,000 farmers and rural people. Beyond planting trees, the projects are also creating income-generating opportunities for local communities through activities such as beekeeping, seedling nurseries and community finance initiatives.

The event concluded with the attendees joining the local farmers to plant their seedlings as part of the project.

The EFI grant scheme, which runs from the end of 2025 through 2027, aims to support Ghana’s efforts to restore degraded landscapes, promote sustainable land use and strengthen livelihoods.