"Ghana aims to plant 30 million trees under 2025 tree for life reforestation initiative" – Forestry Commission Boss

Ghana’s commitment to restoring its degraded landscapes and tackling climate change reached another milestone on Friday as the Forestry Commission, in collaboration with the diplomatic community and other key stakeholders, launched the 2025 edition of the Tree for Life Reforestation Initiative at the Seismic Centre within the Achimota Forest Reserve.

Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the event, Dr. Clement A. Hugh Brown, Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, provided a detailed overview of the initiative and the broader national vision for environmental sustainability.

“The Tree for Life Reforestation Initiative is a bold and structured effort to rejuvenate Ghana’s forest cover while cultivating a national culture of environmental responsibility, particularly among the youth,” Dr. Brown said.

He noted that the diplomatic corps has remained a steadfast ally in this national tree-planting agenda.

"The tree I’m standing under now is a beautiful mahogany planted by the Guinean Ambassador in 2021. All around us are trees with proper tags that remind us of the consistency and commitment from our international partners,” he added.

The 2025 program saw an impressive turnout of diplomatic envoys, heads of corporate institutions, civil society actors, and environmental advocates who joined forces to plant thousands of tree seedlings.

Dr. Brown said the presence of these groups was not merely symbolic, but a demonstration of their collective understanding of the initiative’s core goals—restoring degraded lands, engaging communities, and confronting the climate crisis.

He outlined the various components under the Tree for Life initiative, explaining that the highly visible Amenity Planting drive aims to plant 2 million tree seedlings, including fruit trees, across the country.

"We are actively distributing seedlings to individuals, churches, schools, and communities along roadsides and in open spaces to create green corridors and communal shade,” he stated.

Dr. Brown further highlighted the Modified Taungya System, under which degraded forest reserves are rehabilitated in collaboration with fringe communities.

“The farmers are given access to the land to plant food crops, and alongside this, the Forestry Commission introduces tree seedlings"

"This agroforestry system not only improves forest cover but also enhances the livelihoods of the farmers who retain 100% of their food harvests and receive 40% of the value of the trees at maturity,” he explained.

This year, under the Modified Taungya scheme, the Commission targets the establishment of 10,000 hectares—approximately 25,000 acres—with an expected yield of 12 million tree seedlings.

Another pillar of the program is Enrichment Planting, aimed at partially degraded forests where indigenous tree species are planted in strips to close open canopies.

This method will be used to cover an additional 4,000 hectares nationwide.

Dr. Brown revealed that the Forestry Commission is also working closely with the Ghana Cocoa Board to distribute tree seedlings to cocoa farmers.

These trees, planted either around the perimeters or within cocoa farms, are meant to provide shade and enhance biodiversity, with a recommended density of 18 to 21 trees per hectare.

In a bid to create jobs while greening the nation, the Commission has also engaged 2,000 youth, deployed across all regions, to establish 2,000 hectares of commercial plantations under the president’s employment initiative.

Dr. Brown emphasized that the entire initiative, across its various components, is expected to result in the planting of over 20 million seedlings, with an additional 10 million to be planted by the private sector.

“The private sector has been assigned an annual target of 7,500 hectares, while the government handles 12,500 hectares, excluding what is being done under amenity and on-farm planting,” he said.

“With this multi-pronged approach, we are confident that by the end of October, at least 30 million tree seedlings would have been planted across Ghana,” Dr. Brown concluded, calling for continued collaboration between government, private sector, NGOs, and the general public.

The Tree for Life Reforestation Initiative, launched by President John Dramani Mahama in Kwabenya, has become a cornerstone of Ghana’s climate resilience strategy and a beacon of environmental leadership in the West African sub-region.

Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith