Deforestation is considered one of the major causes of climate change. This is because forests and soils serve as carbon sinks and therefore as more forests and fallow lands make way for agriculture, the more cause and effects of climate change the earth is subjected to. In Ghana a myriad of factors contribute to forest loss; with the major ones being agriculture (cocoa, rubber, and palm) and illegal logging.

Agric-related (mostly cocoa) deforestation has come under scrutiny over the past decade with Ghana losing about 8% of forests to cocoa farms. These are evident in what we term “cocoa reserves” i.e. forest reserves which appear to be forests on the outside but rather cocoa farms on the inside. Companies, governments and CSOs through the Cocoa Forest Initiative are working hand-in-hand to eliminate any further extension of cocoa in forests, and cocoa-related deforestation in general.