Afarinick Company Limited

Afarinick Company Limited, a leader in climate-smart agriculture and sustainable land-use systems, proposes to support smallholder cocoa farmers establish 100 hectares of cocoa agroforestry farms in the Volta Region of Ghana. This initiative aligns with national goals for reforestation, youth employment, and climate resilience, while creating inclusive economic opportunities for local communities. Project objectives are as follows • Establish 100 hectares of cocoa agroforestry farms integrating cocoa and high-value tree species (e.g., mahogany, Albizia sp, fruit trees). • Create sustainable employment for over 300 women and youth in surrounding communities. • Enhance biodiversity and carbon sequestration in degraded landscapes through agroforestry practices. • Build local capacity in agroforestry techniques, nursery management practices and additional livelihood projects. Afarinick will adopt a participatory approach to ensure local ownership and long-term success. Community durbars shall be organized to introduce the project and its benefits; adopt inclusive recruitment and training, prioritizing women and youth roles in nursery management, tree planting and maintenance; and providing hands-on training in agroforestry and climate-smart practices. Using the registered and trained labour force (Rehab Assistants) from the communities, selected farms shall be cleared, lined and pegged, established with improved cocoa seedling varieties and local economic shade trees (including plantain to serve as additional livelihood to farmers) and maintained over the project period to ensure survival. To install cocoa agroforestry on 100 hectares will require 110,000 cocoa seedlings, 9,000 economic tree seedlings and 105,600 plantain seedlings. Planting economic shade trees along with plantain on cocoa farms provide microclimate conducive for cocoa plants to thrive. The planting of 105,600 plantain seedlings provides temporary shade for the planted cocoa seedlings. Additionally, plantain serves as additional livelihoods for farmers.