The
Underst ry A deeper look into the Rainforest Alliance’s work in Africa
ISSUE 2
SPRING 2021
Welcome to The Understory The Rainforest Alliance’s newsletter for the passionate supporters who share our mission to create a better future for people and nature. un·der·sto·ry [noun]: A layer of vegetation beneath the main canopy of a forest IN THIS EDITION: Read about our work to stop deforestation and build thriving livelihoods in Africa. A MESSAGE FROM OUR STAFF
Anthony Adom, Africa Senior Field Liaison SNAPSHOT: Our Impact Across Africa OUR ALLIANCE IN ACTION
Womens’ Rights & Renewable Energy FEATURE STORY
Integrated Landscape Management: Replicating Successes in Ghana’s Cocoa Landscapes MEET OUR ALLIANCE MEMBERS
Craig Davidson and Alem Moammad UPCOMING EVENTS CONTACT US
ISSUE 2
SPRING 2021
ABOUT THE RAINFOREST ALLIANCE:
2 million +
farmers in our certification program
70 +
countries around the world with active projects and/or certified farms
100 +
active projects directly benefiting farmers, forest communities, and nature
OUR MISSION: The Rainforest Alliance is an international non-profit organization creating a more sustainable world by using social and market forces to protect nature and improve the lives of farmers and forest communities.
5 million +
hectares of global farmland certified against our sustainability standards
5,000 +
companies working with us to source certified ingredients and improve their business practices
Our multifaceted approach to shaping a more sustainable world:
CERTIFICATION We certify products that are grown in accordance with our standards, which support environmental, social, and economic sustainability.
GUIDING COMPANIES We advise companies on how to improve sustainability within their supply chains and source responsibly.
LANDSCAPES & COMMUNITIES We work with farmers and forest communities to conserve and restore landscapes while improving livelihoods.
ADVOCACY We work with companies and governments to advance policies that promote sustainability improvements, human rights (such as gender equality), and youth education.
A MESSAGE FROM OUR STAFF
Cocoa communities lead the way on climate BY ANTHONY ADOM | AFRICA SENIOR FIELD LIAISON
“Rivers and streams that had begun to dry up during severe dry seasons have started to flow year-round again.” ANTHONY ADOM | Senior Field Liaison
The Rainforest Alliance recently bid adieu to our Ghana field liaison, Anthony Adom, who retired after a long, accomplished career in conservation. We feel immensely fortunate that Anthony chose to spend the last decade at the Rainforest Alliance, helping to develop a ground-breaking land management board (LMB) in Ghana’s Juaboso-Bia cocoa landscape. Here he looks back at his work with the LMB, which owes much of its success to Anthony’s brilliance and dedication—though he is far too humble to say so himself.
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Here in Ghana, climate change has already devastated communities and landscapes: River bodies have dried up, distorted rainfall patterns have wreaked havoc on farmers’ lives, and species such as the grey parrot, western red colobus, and chimpanzee are under threat. The Juaboso-Bia landscape management board (LMB), formed in 2011 with the support of the Rainforest Alliance, has proven itself a powerful force in taking on this immense challenge. Almost 6,000 farmers have undergone Rainforest Alliance training and certification, and the Juaboso-Bia Climate Cocoa Cooperative Union, with the support of the LMB, was the first farmer group in Africa to achieve climate-smart status—a feat that reflects the board’s unflinching commitment to climate-change mitigation.
COCOA FARMER TRAINING IN GHANA
As part of this large-scale effort to tackle climate change, the Juaboso-Bia farmers have planted 60,000 trees on nearby degraded and fallow lands, and another 50,000 shade trees on their farms. After just ten years, farmers are already reaping the benefits of this restoration: Rivers and streams that had begun to dry up during severe dry seasons have started to flow year-round again. And with 5,000 economic trees (those that produce fruit that can be sold) continuing to be planted each year, and new farmers joining the LMB, the benefits will only multiply. It is projected, in fact, that in five years 12,000 hectares of the lost forest reserves of the landscape will be restored. The Rainforest Alliance has long understood that farmers who are doing this crucial work must be able to feed their families—that in effect, farmer incomes and successful climate mitigation go hand-in-hand. That is why our trainings promote the diversification
of income streams, a practice the farmers in the Juaboso-Bia landscape embraced enthusiastically. Bee-keeping, in particular, has been a boon. With 300 hives across the landscape, and honey branded with the Juaboso-Bia name, bee-keeping now generates an average of GH₵126,000 ($28,000) a year for participating farmers—equal to about 30 percent of the revenue generated from cocoa farms. From the beginning, the Rainforest Alliance intended for this governance structure to eventually be led and sustained by the Juaboso-Bia Indigenous communities well into the future. I am happy to say, as I step down from my role supporting the LMB, that we have achieved our aim. The governance structure will hold the communities in good stead as they continue to reap the benefits of their crucial climate work.
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OUR ALLIANCE IN ACTION
Impact of our work across africa Africa is home to precious rainforests and iconic wildlife—from endangered species like the lowland and mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, leopards, hippos, lions, and forest elephants—but agricultural expansion has led to alarming rates of forest destruction. At the same time, the impacts of climate change have ravaged many landscapes and livelihoods. Smallholders, already operating on the thinnest of margins, now struggle with drought, unpredictable rainfall, and shorter growing seasons. That’s why the Rainforest Alliance works with farmers and forest communities throughout Africa to build climateresilient agricultural landscapes, restore degraded forests and buffer zones of protected areas, and connect rural
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businesses with companies that source responsibly. Whether we are working in tea in Kenya, coffee in Uganda, or forest products in Cameroon, we maintain a keen focus on promoting human rights and centering local leadership. In 2019, the Rainforest Alliance launched a Cocoa Assurance Plan in West Africa, which provides 70 percent of the world’s cocoa, to strengthen our commitment to eliminating child labor, promoting gender equality, improving farmer incomes, and reducing deforestation in that sector.
Our Priority Crops cocoa tea coffee forest products Rainforest Alliance offices
COTE D’IVOIRE
GHANA
CAMEROON
UGANDA
KENYA
15
years working in Africa
86
staff members in in Africa
1,850+
farmers we work with Our holistic approach in Africa includes: • • • • • • • • • • •
Reforestation Agroforestry Climate-smart agriculture Renewable energy Biodiversity Child labor and forced labor Better labor conditions Gender equality Climate adaptation Strengthening livelihoods Improving living wage and income
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OUR ALLIANCE IN ACTION
Advancing Womens’ Rights in Cameroon
Women are the backbone of Cameroon’s natural resource-based economy, playing a critical role in crop and livestock farming as well as the production of forest products. Despite this, women are routinely excluded from decision-making processes that directly affect their livelihoods. Studies repeatedly show that the advancement of women’s rights is critical to the sustainable transformation of rural economies. Closing the gender gap—through equal access to education, financing, land rights, and training in sustainable land management practices—not only improves the lives of rural women, but also brings wider 8 | THE UNDERSTORY
benefits for the whole community and surrounding landscapes—including higher agricultural yields on existing farmland, better incomes, and healthier landscapes. In Mount Bamboutos, Cameroon, the Rainforest Alliance is working to advance women’s rights for 1,500 women through community-led landscape management. The goal of this effort is to achieve full participation and leadership opportunities at all levels of decision-making in local Landscape Management Boards (LMBs), better economic opportunities for women in local businesses, and greater awareness of gender issues at a local and national level.
Renewable Energy in Kenya
Click above to watch our our latest video about the Kenya Renewable Energy Project
Deforestation in Kenya threatens regional climate stability, public health, and the livelihoods of millions of farmers who depend on forests for rain. A major driver of deforestation in Kenya is the tea industry, which mostly still uses woodfired boilers. Our Kenya team worked closely with the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA), which represents millions of smallholder tea farmers, and EnSo Impact, a specialist in lowcarbon energy technology, to introduce a new fuel source made from agricultural waste.
“There comes a time when humanity is called to shift to a new level of consciousness. That time is now.” WANGARI MAATHAI Kenya’s beloved Nobel Laureate and founder of the Greenbelt Movement
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FEATURE STORY
Land Management Boards Replicating the Success of Ghana’s Cocoa Communities
Pristine forests slashed and burned; rivers and lakes choked with chemicals; wetlands converted to farmland. Human activities are taking a heavy toll on our natural world—with alarming consequences for climate stability and the spread of wildlife-borne diseases. If the Earth’s ecosystems are to go on providing essential food, water, carbon storage—as well as opportunities for secure and dignified rural livelihoods—then we must take immediate, coordinated, collective action. Our proven approach,
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known as Integrated Landscape Management, helps rural communities build partnerships with all land users—farmers, forest enterprises, local leaders, companies, and governments—to tackle complex threats ranging from climate change to ecosystem restoration to human rights. The key to this model’s success is community participation and leadership, as the communities of Ghana’s Juaboso-Bia cocoa landscape have proven. Their conservation, livelihood, and climate achievements have inspired other forest communities, such as those we work with in Cameroon, to establish similar partnerships.
BUILDING CLIMATE RESILIENCE THROUGH REFORESTATION IN GHANA
ADVANCING WOMEN’S RIGHTS IN THE WESTERN HIGHLANDS OF CAMEROON
Ghana is losing its rainforest faster than any other country in the world. The main driver is agricultural expansion for cocoa—a vital cash crop that supports the livelihoods of some 800,000 small-scale farmers. But after taking part in Rainforest Alliance trainings, cocoa farmers in Juaboso-Bia were inspired to regenerate their landscape. Together with our Ghana team, members of 36 farming communities— spanning 29,000 hectares—joined forces with government officials, cocoa traders, and chocolate manufacturers to form a community-led Landscape Management Board (LMB).
Studies show that when rural women gain equal access to land rights, financing, and training, the knock-on benefits are extraordinary. “It’s a simple equation,” explains Nadège Nzoyem, our Central Africa director. “Strong women equal strong communities and strong landscapes.” That’s why the Rainforest Alliance is forging an exciting new landscape partnership with women producers in the Western Highlands of Cameroon.
Over the past ten years, the LMB has spearheaded local reforestation efforts—planting nearly 60,000 tree seedlings in formerly degraded areas. Its members have also cultivated thousands of young shade trees on local cocoa farms, nurturing thriving agroforestry systems that can help farmers grow their resilience to climate change impacts, such as excessive heat and unpredictable rainfall. The initiatives have been life-changing. Because of deforestation, water used to disappear from the rivers during the dry season, explains Elijah Owusu-Cashiekrom, chairman of the LMB’s forest governance unit—but after planting trees on riverbanks, “the rivers flow all year, like they used to.”
Historically, the region’s forests were cherished as sacred sites for traditional rituals. Protected through customary law, the forests thrived—supporting livelihoods and providing shelter to troops of mountain gorillas. But today, rampant deforestation threatens everything. Inspired by the success of the Juaboso-Bia Landscape Management Board in Ghana, our Cameroon team is helping to establish a similar partnership to oversee forest stewardship in the Western Highlands. One of the key objectives is to ensure equal leadership opportunities for women at all levels within the LMB. This in turn, will help open up new economic opportunities for other women in the community—from supporting women farmers to adopt more sustainable growing practices to inspiring women-led enterprises (producing forest products like honey, fruits, and spices) to grow their businesses responsibly.
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MEET OUR ALLIANCE MEMBERS
craig davidson “The Rainforest Alliance’s work to implement climate-smart and regenerative Earth practices is key to protecting and restoring our shared planet. We all have a part to play, and I believe every business should bear the cost to the environment of their activities and do so in a way that empowers communities where the need—and the potential for change—is greatest.” CRAIG DAVIDSON | Chief Operating Officer of Rick Steves’ Europe
Craig Davidson is Chief Operating Officer of Rick Steves’ Europe (RSE), an organization that leads tens of thousands of people on guided tours through Europe each year and produces a wide range of travel content. He leads RSE’s groundbreaking Climate-Smart Commitment, which funds climate-smart
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initiatives, including the Rainforest Alliance’s project, Climate-Smart Agriculture in Ghana. Davidson is passionate about global citizenship, a drive to help Americans break free of ethnocentricity, and a commitment to always treat the Earth as a shareholder.
Alem Moammed When the COVID-19 crisis struck Ethiopia, the Limmu Kossa Coffee Estate’s gender committee sprang into action.
Together they arranged to provide masks and soap to the farm’s 1,000+ workers and to implement social distancing protocols. But Alem Moammed, a gender committee member who has worked on this Rainforest Alliance Certified farm for 28 years, went even further, taking it upon herself to dispel local myths and misconceptions about the virus—that the virus was an evil spirit, for example, and that masks actually cause COVID-19. Moammed credits her time on the gender committee, which is part of a Rainforest Alliance program, with giving her the tools and inspiration to act.
“I can contract the disease if my family members and my colleagues are reckless. Moreover, as a woman, I will bear the burden by taking care of the sick ones. The training I received with the Rainforest Alliance and through the gender committee motivated me to create awareness about the virus. We can only prevent the virus’s spread collectively.” ALEM MOAMMED | Limmu Kossa Coffee Estate, Ethiopia
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JOIN THE ALLIANCE
upcoming events
The event of the season is unbounded by time and place with no dress code required. On June 12, join us and your fellow alliance members as we break away from in-person gala and raise funds to create a more sustainable world for people and nature, wherever you are. Throughout May and June, we will offer exciting classes— from nature photography to mediation and sound healing—and share unique tips and tricks to engage with nature. This virtual fundraising campaign culminates on June 12th when we will celebrate—together, apart.
get your tickets here! 14 | THE UNDERSTORY
Leave your Legacy Have you included the Rainforest Alliance in your estate planning? By making a planned gift to the Rainforest Alliance you can create a meaningful legacy for future generations. Donors who include Rainforest Alliance in their estate plans or wills are among our most dedicated supporters and are welcomed into the Judith Sulzberger Legacy Society. Members receive lifetime benefits including updates on our work, invitations to special events, and recognition in our annual report. Visit www.ra.org/giftplanning or contact Gabriela Sanchez at gabrielasanchez@ra.org to learn more.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT “We have been supporting environmental organizations for years as there is no other issue as important to us than the protection of our planet. The Rainforest Alliance’s work lays the foundation for trust between farmers, companies, and consumers—which is critical to protecting people and nature. The organization’s immense experience and deep relationships across the globe provide the tools needed to achieve longterm impact for generations to come. We are proud to place our trust in the Rainforest Alliance and its impactful work.” LINDA AND BILL RICHTER Members of the Judith Sulzberger Legacy Society since 2014
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THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF OUR ALLIANCE.
STAY IN T O UC H
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Please reach out directly to Gabriela at gabrielasanchez@ra.org
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