FOCUS: Jersey's role in supporting cocoa farmers in Sierra Leone

Monday 27 May 2024

Speakers working on a Jersey Overseas Aid-supported project in Sierra Leone were recently in Jersey to talk to islanders about innovative ways of supporting cocoa farmers at the edges of the country's largest rainforest.

Express spoke to experts from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds about tackling deforestation and changing farming habits in cocoa farmers in Sierra Leone – and how Jersey has been a unique donor to the charity.

The Cocoa Sweet Spot project

The project operates on the edges of Sierra Leone's Gola national park on the border between Sierra Leone and Liberia where a four-kilometre buffer encircling the park is home to cocoa farms, according to Dr Shashi Kumaran, Head of Conservation Enterprise at the RSPB.

The project is part of the RSPB's REDD+ [reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation] work, which seeks to tackle deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries, including the Gola rainforest in West Africa.

Dr Kumaran explained: "What we're trying to do is to find the maximum benefits from providing livelihoods to cocoa farmers, and looking at how that can then also benefit biodiversity and help to protect the forest.

"As part of the [REDD+] programme, we work with local communities in the forest edges, to make sure that these communities are not carrying out activities that are leading to the deforestation of the forests in the buffer areas of this national park, that's part of the REDD+ project."

The charity's work spans from helping farmers produce cocoa to sell internationally (for higher revenue), encouraging them to diversify their crops, and using carbon credits to tackle emissions in the area.

Pictured: Dr Shashi Kumaran addresses a Jersey audience. (JOA)

"Cocoa is very much a seasonal crop," Dr Kumaran explained.

"There is in the wet season, the cocoa trees won't grow very much and you won't be able to harvest your cocoa. So it's really in the dry season that a lot of the harvesting is done.

"So there is a lien period or a hungry period when you know they won't be able to sell cocoa for money.

"As a result of that, it will be good if these farmers can have income from other crops growing alongside their cocoa. That's what we're trying to do with the funding from Jersey."

The charity will trial six types of agroforestry models, categorised into three different types of farm – farms that are under five years old, farms between five and 25 years of age, and mature, established farms.

On-site, Dr Kumaran works with farmer leaders, who are trained, and there is a network of leaders and cooperatives to reach more individual farmers.

"It's been a really unique journey"

JOA has three areas of focus based on Jersey's traditions and industries – Dairy for Development, Financial Inclusion, and Conservation Livelihoods.

The latter combines the expertise on-island present thanks to Durrell, whilst always including a humanitarian element.

Pictured: The project operates at the edge of the Gola forest in Sierra Leone.

Matt Clifton, Senior Trusts and Foundations Manager at the RSPB, reached out to JOA a few years ago after seeing they had supported the likes of Durrell, he explained.

An initial meeting was followed by a 12-month process of getting to know each other and sharing strategy documents, before the RSPB was accepted as a potential partner in 2021.

Mr Clifton explained: "As a donor, it's a really neat process that they have in that with most donors, you might submit a bit of paperwork, and then you hear from them 12 months later.

"Jersey are quite involved and want to try and maybe co-design some ideas or work with you.

"So we did stage one submission, which was basically just a pitch, a couple of maps, what's it going to cost, what we want to do. And then we submitted another submission after a few months, it's far more detailed documentation of a work plan over four or five years."

He continued: "Then at stage three, we actually had Ed [Edward Lewis, Head of Programme] and Gillian [Challinor, Senior Programme Officer] from Jersey Overseas Aid come out to Sierra Leone, to see what could be done and what the plan is. And show them the wonderful Gola rainforest. And thankfully, the commissioners liked it, and the team liked it, and here we are now.

"It's been a really unique journey and we're so lucky to be working with Jersey Overseas Aid."

One of the changes influenced by Jersey was to hone in on a core group of farmers, rather than "picking a number".

Mr Clifton said: "Jersey was really keen for us to be quite specific: is this going to be measurable? Will you be working with these exact communities?"

"A lot of people hadn't realised that Jersey was involved in such projects"

Last week, the RSPB was part of an event held by JOA about its involvement in environmental projects, with Durrell also in attendance.

Programme Associate Meredith Richards explained: "It was a chance for Jersey Overseas Aid to showcase to the people of Jersey some of the activities that have been carried out in the Cocoa Sweet Spot project since September 2022."

Pictured (left to right): JOA Head of Programme Ed Lewis, JOA Chair and Minister for International Development Deputy Carolyn Labey, Durrell Field Programmes Manager Ellie Harvey, RSPB Head of Conservation Enterprise & Harapan Rainforest Dr Shashi Kumaran.

Mr Clifton explained that islanders had asked "a range of questions", including about the carbon credit scheme and the idea of conservation livelihoods.

Dr Kumaran added: "I think a lot of people who attended the event hadn't realised that Jersey was involved in such projects."

Islanders had also asked about compensation for farmers who are being asked to change their practices, which she explained was why involving charities and agencies was useful.

"It's much easier to just clear your forest, plant it with cocoa and put a lot of fertiliser and not worry about wildlife," Dr Kumaran said.

"But the forest-friendly practices that we're asking them to adopt will help conserve the wildlife and the forest.

"And as a result of that, they need to be properly compensated for making that sacrifice, and I think that's where we are working to ensure that they get a good price for their cocoa and that they are properly compensated for these sacrifices that they're making."

Pictured top: A ranger washes their face while on patrol in the forest. (Michael Duff/rspb-images.com)