Soil Health and Carbon Sequestration in Ghanaian Cocoa Agroforestry and Monoculture Systems (ATCS-Cacao)

ATCA-Cacao

Soil Health and Carbon Sequestration in Ghanaian Cocoa Agroforestry and Monoculture Systems (ATCS-Cacao)

Theme: Soil Health for Improved Livelihoods
Flagship: Carbon in African Cropping Systems (C-Crops)
Start Date: 2023
End Date: 2026

Description

The cocoa value chain in Ghana offers potential for nutrient management to create benefits for cocoa smallholders’ livelihoods and the environment. This Project on Carbon Dynamic and Soil Health Profiling expects to enable increased soil organic carbon, reduced trade-offs between improved soil health and farmer livelihoods and resilience of Ghanian cocoa cropping systems to climate change.

The project will impact on:

  1. Capacity strengthening of the partner institutions with its Graduate Students engagement and training.
  2. Data availability and accessibility with the soil, above and below ground carbon, and nutrient removal and uptake database.
  3. Joint research project proposals development.
  4. Knowledge gaps closing with scientific publications in international peer reviewed journals and presentation of key research findings in regional and international scientific conference

The project works with Universities, National Agricultural Research Systems, cocoa tree crop producers’ networks, and Private sector in Ghana through collaborative PhD research approach for impacts demonstration of proven cropping systems technology to guarantee (i) improved engagement between research and extension services in finding fundamental knowledge gaps that hinder efficient nutrient use in cocoa systems; (ii) a participatory research process with effective farmers and private sector engagement for relevant research outputs dissemination; and (iii) alignment of the novel crop nutrition research and education packages for cocoa systems with priorities of international-, regional- and national- research institutions and extension services as well as private stakeholders to catalyze adoption of innovation. The project will be conducted in Ashanti, Ahafo and Western North Regions where the bulk of Ghana’s cocoa beans are produced.

Key Stakeholders

CSIR-Soil Research Institute
University of Ghana
Ghanian National Agriculture Research Systems
Cocoa Tree Crop Producers’ Networks
Ghanian Private Sector

Target Geography

Ghanian Cacao producing agro ecosystems

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