From One Acre to Ten: Five Years of Community-Led Restoration Transforms Livelihoods in Ghana’s Transition Landscape

Over the past five years, EcoCare Ghana’s Community-Led Restoration Project, funded through TerraFund for AFR100 with support from One Tree Planted, has demonstrated that restoring degraded landscapes can also transform lives. Implemented across communities in 3 districts (Offinso North and South and Techiman Municipality) in Ghana’s Transition Landscape, the project combined ecological restoration with livelihood support by providing seedlings, financial assistance for land preparation and nurturing of planted seedlings, and training in sustainable agroforestry practices.

For Wiafe Akenten, a farmer with a disability from Kyebi in the Offinso South District, the project marked a turning point. For years, he cultivated only one or two acres because he could not afford labour to clear additional land. Through project support, he expanded his farm to about ten acres and intercropped Ofram (Terminalia superba) and Mahogany alongside pawpaw. This allowed him to earn income while the trees matured. Over the past four years, proceeds from pawpaw have enabled him to reinvest in pruning and weeding, ensuring that his Mahogany and Ofram trees (Terminalia superba) continue to thrive alongside his crops. “Without the support from this project, I wouldn’t have been able to expand my farm,” Akenten said. “I was always doing just one or two acres”

In neighbouring Darso, Ms. Margaret Opoku, also benefited from intercropping. She established a woodlot while cultivating maize and plantain between young trees. During the first three years, the harvest provided an important source of income, allowing her to support her family while waiting for the trees to mature. “Intercropping meant I didn’t have to wait years before seeing any benefit from the land,” she explained. “I could take care of my family while the trees were still growing.”

The project’s impact extends beyond individual farms. Across the landscape, beneficiaries of the Project’s Nursery Management Trainings are creating livelihood from the knowledge gained.

“More farmers are now interested in planting trees due to the success of our farms. Last year, I nursed over 2,000 Ofram and Emire Seedlings, which I sold” said Mr. Alidu Seidu, farmer from Anhwerekrom in the Offinso North District.

The project also promoted sustainable land management by training farmers to replace slash-and-burn practices with mulching and other agroforestry techniques. Farmers report improved soil moisture retention and healthier soils capable of supporting crops during dry seasons. The indigenous and economic tree species such as Ofram, Emire, and Mahogany are restoring ecological functions while creating more resilient farming ecosystems.

According to Mr. Enock Danso Okyere, Project Officer for EcoCare Ghana, the project’s success lies in integrating restoration with livelihoods. “By combining seedling distribution, financial support, practical skills, farmers are seeing tangible benefits within five years rather than waiting decades”. For families such as those of Wiafe Akenten and Ms.  Opoku, the results are evident: expanded farms, diversified incomes, improved food security, healthier landscapes, and growing trees that will continue to benefit their communities for generations.

Written By: Lilian Asieduah Acquah