70 percent of the world’s cocoa comes from West and Central Africa, home to strong, rural economies set in vast forests. In Central Africa, the Congo Basin forests—a critical and a biodiversity-rich carbon sink, and the world's second largest stretch of tropical rainforest—are threatened by industrial and agricultural expansion, which has already decimated West African forests.
In West Africa, cocoa farming has been a way of life for generations. The effects of climate change combined with poor farming practices and low incomes make it difficult for these farmers to earn a living, often pressuring them to turn to their children for help on the farm. We join hands with our partners to restore degraded forests and farmlands, protect standing forests, and improve incomes for farmers and their communities.
Sustainable agriculture and community forestry are powerful strategies for protecting nature in West and Central Africa. In the Congo Basin, Ghana’s Sui River region and other key landscapes, we partner with farming communities to support regenerative, climate-resilient farming and forest conservation.
2.8 million farmers and workers benefit from Rainforest Alliance certification
By 2023, the Rainforest Alliance certification program benefitted 1,098,624 farmers and 1,749,500 workers in West and Central Africa. Studies conducted between 2012 and 2020 in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire have shown that certified farms produce more—and higher quality—cocoa compared to non-certified farms.
106 communities are regenerating 382,000 hectares of land in Ghana’s cocoa belt
In Ghana’s Sui River region—one of West Africa’s most important cocoa-growing areas—we are supporting communities to adopt regenerative agriculture, restore forests, and strengthen local economies. This includes activities like conserving water, setting up income-boosting businesses, planting trees in degraded areas and along riverbanks, and more.
The Rainforest Alliance is creating more sustainable landscapes in West and Central Africa through community forestry, cocoa sector policy reforms, and child labor prevention. With 2.2 million hectares of certified farmland and more than 250,000 additional hectares of land under sustainable management, together we’re building strong, local economies and regenerating farms and landscapes in the region.
In Ghana's Sui River region, we empower local communities to combat deforestation and climate change through regenerative agriculture, forest restoration, and sustainable economic practices. ... Continue Reading
Together, we have begun exploring how more sustainable solutions, like community forestry and fish farming—can help protect the rainforest of the Congo Basin and strengthen livelihoods. ... Continue Reading
Despite producing around 45 percent of the world’s cocoa beans, an estimated 87 percent of cocoa-growing households in Côte d’Ivoire earn below a living income.... Continue Reading
Women are the backbone of Cameroon's natural resource-based economy.... Continue Reading
What do gold and cocoa have in common? Child labor, unfortunately. Find out about the innovative approach we took to helping cocoa families in Ghana thrive so they could let their kids be kids.... Continue Reading
Despite producing around 45 percent of the world’s cocoa beans, an estimated 87 percent of cocoa-growing households in Côte d’Ivoire earn below a living income.... Continue Reading
In Ghana's Sui River region, we empower local communities to combat deforestation and climate change through regenerative agriculture, forest restoration, and sustainable economic practices. ... Continue Reading
The Wall Street Journal spotlights the challenges facing smallholder cocoa farmers in West Africa as the EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR) takes effect. It also highlights the Rainforest Alliance's on-the-ground role in helping these farmers align with the legislation's requirements.
Cocoa prices have reached record highs due to severe supply shortages globally. The worsening impact of climate change, plant diseases, and socioeconomic challenges faced by cocoa-producing countries have all played a role. Smallholder farmers in West Africa, who supply around 70% of the world's cocoa, bear the brunt of these challenges despite being crucial players in the industry.
We have adapted this new tool to monitor both carbon storage and biodiversity in forests, helping forest communities and companies make data-backed decisions about the landscapes they work in.... Continue Reading