Overview of Social and Environmental Issues
Ghana’s richness in natural resources plays a significant role in its strong economy, providing the country with over twice the per capita output than the poorer countries in West Africa. However, overexploitation and mismanagement of these resources and a general lack of environmental awareness threatens the country and its people.

The economy remains highly dependent on subsistence agriculture sector, accounting for 50% of the annual GDP and employs 85% of the county's workforce. However, in only the past 50 years, Ghana's primary rainforest has been reduced by 90%. Currently it loses about 2% of its forest cover annually. This is primarily due to factors such as deforestation for subsistence agriculture, fuelwood collection, uncontrolled bush fires, overgrazing, widespread logging and mining for gold. In the north of the country, the Sahelian desert is quickly encroaching on deforested lands and soil erosion is rampant. Crop yields are decreasing, and overall agriculture productivity is threatened. Despite Ghana's richness in natural resources, 79% of the population still lives on less than $2 a day and the country still remains highly dependent on international financial and technical assistance.

Our Response
In partnership with the Kumasi Institute of Tropical Agriculture (KITA), and their vast network of alumni, NGOs and rural groups, we have developed a program to reach rural communities throughout country. Led by program coordinator, Lovans Owusu-Tayki, farmers are learning how to develop sustainable land-use systems which will bring them economic benefits while improving their environment. A strong focus of the program is placed on the Northern region where the Sahelian desert is expanding. Certain species of trees, such as Leucaena leucocephala and Calliandra calothyrsus are being planted to provide sustainable sources of fuelwood, animal fodder, and to replenish degraded soils. Other species, such as Moringa oleifera, with its highly nutritious leaves, will help families deal with issues of malnutrition.

In addition, as part of the program we are developing an agroforestry curriculum based on our Agroforestry Training Manual (LINK?) at KITA to train future graduates as agroforestry extension agents. In the future, they will be the ones leading the efforts to bring productivity back to Ghana's degraded environment.

Program Update

February 2011
The third trimester was centered on tree planting in schools, planning meetings, transplanting and monitoring of projects. A total of 24 field training workshops were organized for schools and farmer groups (10 Tree Pal training and field activities, 6 community level field demonstrations, 2 KITA students’ field training and 6 planning meetings). The Ghana program faced some difficulties in the beginning of the year due to an extended dry season which lowered the number of trees that survived in the nurseries. In the end, the program planted a total of 737,342 trees through 66 community groups and 68 Tree Pals projects. TREES Ghana also worked with 36 KITA students and alumni, 2 JICA volunteers, 21 PCVs and 13 NGOs.

TREES Ghana program coordinator, Mr. Lovans Owusu-Takyi, continues to have strong relationship with Peace Corps Ghana. He trained the new volunteers that arrived in December from the Education, Environment and Water and Sanitation programs. Overall, 2010 was a successful year. Strategic planning took place in December to prepare for making 2011 an equally successful year. There will be a stronger focus on providing for alternative livelihoods within the agroforestry farms, such as providing snails and grasscutters, which can feed off the leaves of the agroforestry species and add nutritious protein to the family diet.