Most of the deforestation and other natural ecosystems conversion risk commodities (Cocoa, Oil Palm, Rubber, soy, cashew among others) are produced largely by smallholders living below the poverty line with inadequate sustainable production capacities. Since 2018 have been supporting smallholder rubber farmers in Western Region of Ghana to implement best management practices in their rubber plantations under a funding support from the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) We have been actively participating in global sustainability initiatives, platforms and programmes to bring the smallholder production context to bear on policies, standards development and development decisions. .
Some Impacts
• Over 173ha of assessed smallholder rubber plantations are being managed to maintain identified as High Conservation Values (HCVs), for rare threatened, endangered and endemic species on the basis of sharing boundary with protected areas and providing basic ecosystem services to communities in critical times such as the protection of water catchments and control of erosion of vulnerable soils and slopes.
• Over 300,000 empty agrochemical containers including stimulants, fungicides, herbicides, and fertilizer containers have been removed from smallholder plantations by locals into receptacles provided through the project. Locals willingness to dump waste containers into provided receptacles is a results of numerous sensitization campaigns in the communities organized under the project.
• This approach to pesticide waste management has become a revenue source for the communities. The Certified waste management off taker who recycles the empty containers pays to the communities and this money is used for managing the receptacles as well as support improving social amenities for the communities.
• Relationships has strengthened among the smallholder farmers and the Municipal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) and Ghana Rubber Estate Limited (GREL), the large scale private rubber plantation.
We envision a world of dignified human life, because business and government practices as well as consumer choices put human and the life of our planet at the centre. For this reason, we lead actions in sustainable natural resources management practices, focusing on resource regeneration; implementation of best environmental and social practices in agriculture and forestry productive systems and their supply chains for biodiversity conservation, livelihood and climate resilience. We focus: Smallholder Production systems and their supply chains, Capacity Building and Action Research as well as Supporting Accountability We work with Governments, the private sector with local and international collaboration within our mission from practice to policy. Globally we work with groups such as Accreditation Framework Initiative, Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber and Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil to develop and implement standards, strategies and plans for effective operations in the production systems and supply chains of deforestation and natural ecosystem and human rights risk commodities On the local level, we work with private industries, smallholder farmers, forest fringed communities, Communality Resource Management Areas (CREMAs) local government agencies and colleagues Civil Society Organisations (CSO) We are governed by a five (5) member independent board of directors with diverse and complementary backgrounds and experience from NGO management, environmental protection, academia and research. RTN board provides the overall strategic direction of the organization and oversight of its activities. The RTN board supervises the Director of the organization who oversees the administrative, financial and programmes of the organisation. RTN has a strong management team supported by part-time staff and a network of independent consultant. We also run an internship for fresh graduates in all departments of the organisation