Cashew Watch Ghana (CWG), a prominent civil society organization, has successfully secured a GHC500,000 grant from the STAR Ghana Foundation to advance its second-phase cashew sector advocacy project in the Bono Region.
This funding will support the “Amplifying the Voices of Cashew Farmers” initiative, aimed at promoting transparency, accountability, and improved livelihoods for smallholder cashew farmers in key districts of the region. According to Raphael Godlove Ahenu, the National Coordinator of CWG, the project will focus on enhancing cashew production, empowering farmers, and fostering grassroots advocacy in areas such as Jaman North, Jaman South, Banda, and Tain districts.
Through the project, CWG intends to facilitate greater farmer engagement in policy dialogue and strengthen advocacy efforts that ensure the voices of smallholder farmers are heard at the national level. The initiative will also prioritize the participation of women and youth in the cashew sector, providing them with the tools and knowledge to actively engage in sector governance.
Ahenu expressed excitement over the continued collaboration with the STAR Ghana Foundation, noting that the grant would help expand the project’s reach and ensure more farmers are equipped with the skills needed to advocate for their rights. “This grant is critical in enhancing the voices of cashew farmers, particularly women and youth, as we work towards empowering them in sector governance,” he remarked.
The project will feature a variety of activities, including community sensitization campaigns, farmer education sessions, capacity-building workshops, radio discussions, and media engagements. It is expected that over 1,000 smallholder farmers will directly benefit, with thousands more reached indirectly through awareness initiatives and advocacy campaigns.
The STAR Ghana Foundation’s support reflects its commitment to fostering active civil society participation in sustainable and equitable development. By partnering with CWG, the foundation hopes to strengthen the voices of marginalized communities and ensure their concerns are included in national agricultural policies.
Through this initiative, CWG remains dedicated to ensuring cashew farmers are integral to the national conversation on agricultural policy and are not sidelined in the transformation of Ghana’s tree crop sector.
