Securing Land and Tree Rights for a Sustainable Cocoa Future
Ernest Tawiah, a 70-year-old cocoa farmer, has faced conflicts with neighboring farmers and family members over land boundaries of the seven acres of farms he inherited from his late father. “It’s been very disheartening; I couldn’t use my parcel of land located near the river for any agricultural or economic activity nor expand my farm due to uncertainties about the land ownership,” he said.
Farmers like Tawiah often struggle with land tenure issues, unable to secure the rights to their land or trees. Recognizing this challenge, Ferrero has launched key initiatives to support farmers like Tawiah. Through local partnerships and projects, we assist farmers in securing the necessary documentation for their land and tree rights, leading to greater farm productivity and sustainable agricultural practices.
In Ghana, around 80% of land operates under traditional systems, leaving many farmers without legal proof of ownership and dependent solely on verbal agreements. This lack of security lowers farm productivity, especially in agroforestry. Research shows that farmers with insecure land rights invest less in the long term because they fear losing their benefits. Together with partners, Ferrero helps farmers get official land tenure documents, allowing them to secure and confidently assert their rights.
Ferrero also helps farmers get tree registration documents. These documents are crucial for requesting financial compensation when timber companies cut down non-cocoa trees on a farmer's land without permission. This support ensures farmers can protect their investments.
These initiatives are part of the Accessible Soils and Sustainable Environments (ASASE) project in Ghana, a public-private partnership project co-funded by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) and implemented by ETG | Beyond Beans, Meridia, Tropenbos Ghana and the Ghanaian Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources. In 2022/23, this project successfully provided land tenure documents to 116 farmers. We are proud of this milestone, which has been highly appreciated by the beneficiaries.
When the ETG | Beyond Beans and Meridia field teams visited Ernest Tawiah's community in July 2022 and explained the documentation process under the ASASE project, he eagerly enrolled. With Meridia mapping all the farms, conducting tree counting, and taking GPS coordinates, Ernest received his FarmSeal documentation in June 2023. “The land and tree ownership documents have brought me relief as they confirm my ownership of the land and the trees on it and provide a permanent solution to land disputes. All the boundary conflicts with my neighbors have been resolved, and my ownership has been endorsed by the community chief and the chief of the Kokofu Traditional area.”
Ferrero has also joined the Côte d'Ivoire Land Partnership (CLAP) project, a public-private partnership led by Meridia since 2019. The project aims to test and scale a model for securing land rights for cocoa farmers, focusing on educating the community about the importance of secure land rights and legal documentation. The CLAP objective is to deliver 9,000 land certificates, and progress is being made with trainings and the development of innovative digital tools.
We are proud to have taken significant steps forward with our initiatives in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire. Cocoa production is essential to our business, and we continue to improve the conditions under which it’s produced through our efforts with partnerships and investments. By ensuring land and tree rights are secured, we contribute to creating a sustainable and prosperous future for cocoa farming communities.
To know more about the work we do and to read our latest Annual Cocoa Charter Progress Report click here.
