The Crop Research Institute (CRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has brought together key stakeholders in Kumasi to officially roll out the EMBRACE Project, a pioneering initiative that seeks to revive endangered indigenous crops and restore degraded forest landscapes in Ghana and Kenya.The stakeholder meeting drew participation from the forestry commission, traditional authorities, landowners, researchers, and civil society groups.
It marked a critical first step in the project's grassroots approach to biodiversity conservation, sustainable land use, and agroforestry development.Titled "Engaging Local Communities in Endangered Trees and Minor Crops Utilisation for Biodiversity Conservation and Livelihood Enrichment," the EMBRACE Project is a three-year, cross-border effort launched in November 2024.
It operates across selected communities in both countries, with a strong focus on empowering women and youth through sustainable farming practices and ecological restoration.Professor Maxwell Asante, Director of CSIR-CRI, on Friday underscored the project's dual mission of environmental healing and cultural preservation."Our goal is to plant trees while bringing back indigenous crops that are gradually vanishing-crops prized not just for their cultural heritage, but also their medicinal and economic potential," he explained.He cautioned that many traditional minor crops in Ghana were on the brink of extinction due to modern farming trends, land degradation, and neglect.
EMBRACE, he emphasized, "is a critical step toward safeguarding biodiversity while opening avenues for future commercial use."Providing a progress report, Dr Clement Oppong Peprah, EMBRACE Project Coordinator, disclosed that since inception, the project has engaged 41 communities in Ghana and 25 in Kenya.
