Rainforest Alliance Officials engage partners, beneficiaries of $5 million Africa Cocoa Fund (ACF)

Officials from Rainforest Alliance organized a workshop for implementing partners and beneficiaries of their $5 million Africa Cocoa Fund (ACF) on Monday, October 28, 2024.

The event, held at the NODA Hotel in Kumasi, marked the conclusion of the first phase of the ACF, which spanned three years and focused on implementing nine sustainable cocoa programs in Ghana.

The workshop served as a platform for participants to share feedback on the program's impact on certified cocoa farmers and cocoa farms over the past three years. This feedback will guide Rainforest Alliance in shaping strategies for the continuation of the initiative.

Reflections on the Workshop
Maxwell Nyaaba, Finance Manager at Rainforest Alliance, expressed satisfaction with the feedback received from beneficiaries and implementers. “From our visits, we observed tangible impacts and effective project implementation on the ground. Interacting with farmers reaffirmed that the programs have been successful,” he noted.

Achievements Under the Child Labor Program

Patrick Balifi, Project Manager for the Africa Cocoa Fund, highlighted significant milestones achieved under the child labor program. Over 5,000 children have been reached across Africa, with more than 2,000 receiving birth certificates. Vulnerable cocoa farmers have also been equipped with alternative income-generating skills to better support their families and combat child labor.

Balifi reiterated Rainforest Alliance's commitment to reducing child labor risks in cocoa-growing communities across Ghana and Africa. However, he stressed the importance of collective efforts in this fight. “Everyone must join in addressing child labor sustainably,” he emphasized.

The workshop underscored the transformative potential of the Africa Cocoa Fund while setting the stage for its future direction.

About the Africa Cocoa Fund (ACF)
The ACF is a three-year, $5 million initiative by Rainforest Alliance aimed at supporting cocoa farmers and preserving local landscapes in West and Central Africa. It funds sustainability projects driven by certified smallholder producer groups, cooperatives, and farmers, with a focus on creating long-term positive impacts. The fund targets key intervention areas such as: Geolocation and mapping, digitalization of IMS and traceability systems, addressing child labor, agroforestry and shade tree management, skills development, income diversification, data-driven innovative solutions and addressing landscape-level issues.