On Thursday, the French Embassy in Ghana and NGO Noé launched ECONOBIO II, the second phase of Noé Conservation’s flagship program supported by the AFD (Agence Française De Développement). The event, graced by the French Ambassador H. E. Anne Sophie Avé and Ghana’s Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Hon. Samuel Abu Jinapor, marked the official start of the program and a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Government of Ghana and France and Noé was signed.
Phase I of the project was completed between January 2018 and March 2021, a period during which 4,900 producers and farmers (with approximately half of them being women) were empowered. It also contributed to the development of five sustainable value chains, namely: shea butter, organic virgin coconut oil, honey, organic and climate smart cocoa, and Kombo nuts.
ECONOBIO II is funded by AFD, Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, and the Sofi Tucker Foundation. The project, which is set to run for the next four years, looks to upscale the first phase and replicate the programme model across concerned areas in Ghana.
Programme Manager, Natacha Cayre, explained:
“It will contribute to restoration and sustainable management of over 300,000 hectares of forest lands with 150,000 local trees planted and reduce illegal logging and poaching through strengthening of 10 CREMAs with over 500 elected executives and 200 patrollers. It will further invest over €200,000 in the construction of processing facilities and equipment supply and empower 5,500 producers/farmers (50% women) with improved livelihood and increased income. This is expected to boost Ghana’s economic sector and contribute to its overall growth and development agenda.”
For more information, read our press release : media/missions/press-release-econobio-2.pdf
