Rainforest Builder, an international forest restoration company, has officially established an indigenous tree nursery facility with an annual production capacity of five million seedlings.
The facility with cutting-edge irrigation system, located at Basengele near Bibiani in the Western North Region currently stands as the largest indigenous tree nursery in Africa.
Ms. Enver Mapanda, General Manager of Rainforest Builder Ghana, said the nursery reflected the company’s long-term commitment to restoring degraded forest landscapes aligned with the government’s bold vision for climate resilience, biodiversity, and green jobs in partnership with the Forestry Commission.
She explained that this year, the objective was to restore 2,000 hectares, including 350 hectares in June alone for the Tree for Life Restoration Initiative.
The restoration company, according to her, aims to reverse decades of deforestation by literally rebuilding rainforests, tree by tree, hectare by hectare.
Despite its complexity and capital-intensive nature, the project is funded through the sale of high-integrity carbon credits to global companies committed to reaching net-zero emissions, she explained.
Ms. Mapanda indicated that the parent company, based in the UK, focused exclusively on West Africa and priority was the Upper Guinean Forest – a critically important ecosystem for carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and sustainable development.
Beyond planting trees, the company is building inclusive rainforest economies where the people who live with and care for these forests also benefit directly from the restoration efforts.
Since its establishment in Ghana in 2023 under “Project Akwaaba”, the company has restored more than 1,500 hectares of degraded land across the Upper Wassa, Anhwiaso South, and Anhwiaso East Forest reserves, she revealed.
Dr. Hugh Brown, Chief Executive Officer, Forestry Commission (FC), lauded the efforts of Rainforest Builder, describing it as a model for private sector involvement in landscape restoration.
He said with strong partnership from the private sector, Ghana could accelerate its restoration targets and reinforce its commitments to climate actions.
The Commission targets to plant 10,000 hectares of modified taungya, 4,000 hectares of enrichment planting and 2,000 direct hectares using the youth in the restoration value chain.
The private sector is expected to restore 7,500 hectares of degraded landscapes in Ghana this year, he disclosed.
Dr. Brown commended Rainforest Builder for donating 10,000 seedlings to the Forestry Commission to support its planting activities.
SOURCE: Access Agric
