Ghana’s Landscapes and Environmental Agility across the Nation (LEAN) project has officially concluded after four years, leaving behind a strong legacy of environmental restoration, community empowerment, and sustainable agriculture across key ecological zones in the country.
With financial backing from the European Union (EU), the project saw the planting of one million trees and seedlings across various landscapes, and the rehabilitation of 250,000 hectares through sustainable land management. It also restored more than 420 hectares of degraded land, supported biodiversity, and helped rural communities build resilience to climate change.
At a closing workshop held to mark the end of the initiative, Massimo Mina, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Ghana, commended the project’s success in supporting forest and savannah restoration, while aligning with both Ghana’s climate commitments and the EU Green Deal.
The LEAN project directly benefited more than 4,000 smallholder farmers—over 1,100 of whom were women—by equipping them with tools and training in climate-smart agriculture and alternative income-generating activities such as beekeeping, mushroom cultivation, snail and pig farming, fisheries, and vegetable production.
In promoting financial inclusion, the project’s Savings for Transformation (S4T) scheme mobilized over GH¢2 million in savings from 120 groups across 45 communities between 2022 and 2024. Women made up the majority of participants, demonstrating strong engagement in the project’s financial empowerment efforts.
Consortium Lead Madam Abena Dufie Woode noted that the project has had measurable impacts on yields in cocoa, cashew, and fruit farming across the forest, savannah, and transition zones. Landscape Management Boards formed in the Savannah zone will help sustain these outcomes by driving local stewardship of natural resources.
The Rainforest Alliance’s Country Director, Nicholas Jengre, emphasized the long-term value of financial literacy and cooperative models introduced under the project. World Vision Ghana, Tropenbos Ghana, and EcoCare Ghana collaborated as implementing partners in the initiative.
As a parting gesture to promote continuity, the project handed over five motorbikes to Landscape Management Boards and key partners to support continued monitoring and environmental governance.
While the LEAN project has come to a close, its outcomes have sparked a broader conversation about the role of nature-based solutions in sustainable agriculture and rural development. Both Ghana and the EU have committed to sustaining the momentum and deepening cooperation in climate and environmental resilience.
