Forests are among the most valuable yet underappreciated pillars of economic development. Beyond their ecological importance, they sustain livelihoods, generate employment, strengthen food systems, and support industries ranging from agriculture to energy and construction. As Ghana advances its development agenda, forests represent a form of natural capital capable of driving inclusive growth while safeguarding environmental resilience. This year’s theme for the International Day of Forests, “Forests and economies,” highlights this critical connection. 

For decades, forest and agricultural policies in Ghana—and much of the world—have been treated as separate domains. Forestry focuses on conservation and ecosystem protection, while agriculture is framed around production, food security, and rural livelihoods. But in Ghana, this separation is not only artificial—it is counterproductive. The country’s landscapes tell a different story: forests and agriculture are deeply intertwined, both ecologically and economically.

Today, as pressures on land increase and rural livelihoods become more vulnerable to climate impacts, integrated landscape management is no longer optional. It is the only path to sustain both food systems and forest ecosystems.

Ghana’s Forest–Agriculture Mosaic: Interdependent, Not Separate

Ghana’s forest and agroforestry landscapes cover more than a quarter of the country's land area, forming the backbone of rural economies and ecological stability. These landscapes support over half of the national population, many of whom rely simultaneously on agriculture, forest resources, and mixed farming systems for income. Ghana’s 2021 Population and Housing Census indicates that some 33% of the population’s workforce are directly employed in agriculture alone, with figures from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources showing that of 70% of Ghana’s population are directly dependent on its renewable natural resources such as forests. These go to emphasize the significance of these landscapes and the resources they hold to many of Ghana’s citizens.

Yet agriculture remains one of the major drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, especially in forest‑fringe communities where land competition is high. Some studies in the Ashanti Region of Ghana have shown as much as 78% in forest cover losses due to agricultural expansion over a period of 29 years. As cash crops such as cocoa expand, forest reserves and off‑reserve areas face increasing pressure—eroding the very ecological systems that sustain long-term agricultural productivity.

This interconnected reality makes clear that Ghana cannot advance rural development or food security without protecting forests; nor can forest conservation succeed without transforming how agricultural systems interact with forest landscapes.

In this regard, an integrated and interdependent landscape approach that focuses on agroforestry would be quite beneficial. This approach provides a practical solution for reducing pressure on forest reserves as it would help improve yields and offer farmers alternative income sources such as fruit, timber, and non-timber forest products and in addition contribute to both livelihood diversification and climate resilience.

Sustainable Agriculture and Forest Protection: UNDP’s Integrated Approach

To address this challenge, UNDP Ghana has been at the forefront of promoting forest‑friendly agricultural value chains, particularly in the cocoa sector—one of Ghana’s most economically significant industries; contributing about 10% of Ghana’s GDP in 2021 alone..

Through long‑standing partnerships with the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) and sustainability-driven private-sector actors such as Mondelez International, UNDP is integrating environmental sustainability into cocoa production. These partnerships advance climate‑smart agriculture, reduce deforestation risks, and strengthen farm-level practices so that cocoa is produced without compromising high‑value forest ecosystems, for example, through the Modified Taungya System approach. 

This work sits alongside broader UNDP support to reduce deforestation and forest degradation and to help Ghana implement both the Paris Agreement and Ghana’s REDD+ Strategy. By aligning agricultural value chains with forest conservation and restoration goals, these efforts demonstrate how food production and forest protection can reinforce—rather than undermine—each other.

Why Integrated Landscape Management Is the Future

Ghana’s experience shows that forests and agriculture support each other in critical ways. Forests contribute to: micro‑climate regulation, soil protection and fertility, water cycle regulation, pollination and biodiversity. At the same time, smallholder farmers—who form the majority of the agricultural workforce (about 80%)—depend on forest landscapes for fuelwood, non-timber forest products, income diversification, and climate resilience.

Without an integrated approach, Ghana risks accelerating land degradation, reducing agricultural productivity, and deepening rural poverty—especially as climate change intensifies.

A Call for Integration: Balancing Food Security, Livelihoods, and Forest Conservation

The way forward requires a strategic shift toward integrated landscape management, where land-use planning, agricultural policies, and forest conservation initiatives work together, not in silos.

Such an approach could include:

• Landscape-level governance: similar to what is being practiced through the Hotspot Intervention Areas (HIAs) or the Community Resource Management Areas (CREMAs).

• Forest‑smart agriculture: growing cocoa, shea, cashew and other cash crops must be anchored in widespread agroforestry practices that protect forest cover and biodiversity, with direct technical support to small holders to enhance effectiveness.

• Incentives for farmers: payments for ecosystem services, climate finance, and improved market access can reward farmers who adopt forest-friendly practices.

• Policy coherence: national policies, for example on tree and land tenure, must bridge the gap between agricultural expansion and forest conservation to reduce deforestation drivers. For example, the proposed tree tenure policy should focus on low-cost, hassle-free and feasible ways of adoption for smallholders to ensure its effectiveness.

One Landscape, One Economy, One Future

Ghana’s rural economies cannot thrive if forests continue to decline—and forests cannot survive without transforming agricultural systems to be in harmony with forest biodiversity. The future lies in embracing the reality that forests and agriculture are not competing sectors, but two sides of the same landscape, supporting millions of livelihoods and the nation’s ecological health.

As Ghana advances its development priorities, integrated landscape management represents a transformative opportunity to secure food systems, strengthen rural incomes, and protect the forests that sustain the nation.