The Forestry Commission (FC) has engaged the Agroforestry Technical Working Group (ATWG) on a roadmap to develop a national agroforestry policy for Ghana.
The initiative seeks to strengthen government leadership in agroforestry while positioning the ATWG as a multi-stakeholder technical platform to support policy development and implementation.
The engagement was led by the Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission, Dr Hugh Brown, and Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Ghana, Jeroen Verheul.
Dr Brown said the Forestry Commission is committed to expanding agroforestry, particularly the integration of trees into agricultural landscapes such as cocoa farms, to improve productivity, biodiversity and climate resilience.
He noted that the Commission’s collaboration with the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), the World Bank and the African Development Bank has already supported the planting of millions of trees on cocoa farms under the Ghana Forest Investment Programme.
Ambassador Verheul said agroforestry initiatives in Ghana must move from isolated interventions to a coordinated national framework.
He said the Netherlands Embassy had supported technical studies, stakeholder consultations, regional workshops and national policy dialogue to advance the country’s agroforestry agenda.
According to him, the ATWG brings together government institutions, research organisations, development partners, civil society and the private sector to support government-led agroforestry initiatives.
He called for the Forestry Commission’s partnership in developing a comprehensive national policy to harmonise existing initiatives, guide implementation and attract investment into the sector.
The ATWG’s Programmes Manager, Clifford Adagenera, outlined the group’s mandate and strategic vision, including initiatives such as the Farm of the Future, which promotes farmer-centred agroforestry models aimed at improving land use, labour efficiency and incomes.
The meeting concluded with an interactive session on strengthening agroforestry implementation and collaboration among stakeholders.
Dr Brown reaffirmed the Forestry Commission’s commitment to supporting the ATWG and working with development partners to advance sustainable agroforestry development in Ghana.
