FAO calls for stronger REDD+ systems to unlock climate finance

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations is urging African nations to bolster their policy, institutional and technical frameworks to facilitate access to climate finance through the REDD+ program. This plea emerged during a workshop in Ghana aimed at accelerating REDD+ readiness and preparing for result-based payments in West Africa.

Representatives from Benin, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, and Sierra Leone gathered to exchange insights with Ghana and bolster their capacity to secure result-based climate financing. FAO's Dr. Meshack Malo emphasized that robust policy frameworks, conducive institutional arrangements, and enhanced technical capabilities are essential prerequisites for leveraging carbon finance.

"The policy mix needs to be in place to ensure the country is set to receive this fund," he explained, adding that government agencies must be well-positioned to manage REDD+ initiatives, while countries must develop the requisite skills for monitoring, reporting, and verifying carbon reductions. Acting Director of the Climate Change Unit at Ghana's Forestry Commission, Dr. Joseph Appiah-Gyapong, highlighted the need to balance forest conservation with the livelihoods of communities reliant on these ecosystems.

Many farmers, particularly cocoa producers, inhabit areas surrounding forest reserves, necessitating assistance to enhance productivity beyond these protected zones. "We must acknowledge that the communities depend on the forest. We cannot remove them from that dependency," Dr. Appiah-Gyapong stated. He advocated for enhanced collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ghana Cocoa Board, and other stakeholders to promote climate-smart farming practices.

Such interventions, focused on optimizing yields on existing farmlands, could enable farmers to generate higher incomes without necessitating the conversion of forest reserves into agricultural land. The workshop aims to foster regional collaboration, strengthen forest governance, safeguard forest resources, and equip participating countries to capitalize on results-based climate finance opportunities.