Paper short abstract:

We give an overview of livelihood support activities delivered under a REDD programme in Gola Rain National Park, Sierra Leone. We describe projects dealing with agriculture intensification, village savings and loans groups and improving incomes from cocoa production

Paper long abstract:

The level of poverty for the people living in and around tropical forests is unacceptably high and must be addressed urgently to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. In addition, avoiding deforestation in tropical forests is critical in the world's struggle to limit global warming to within 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Reducing Emission from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) is a financial mechanism by which the sale of carbon credits can be used to fund forest conservation and livelihood improvement programmes. In Sierra Leone, one of the first REDD+ programmes in West Africa was established in the Gola Forest. The programme aims to improve livelihoods in 122 forest edge communities. We give an overview of the projects that are implemented to achieve this and share our experience of agricultural intensification work, establishment of savings and loans groups, and work to improve income from cocoa production. Under the cocoa programme, farmers have seen higher yields as a result of adopting sustainable forest friendly practices. They now have a strong, gender inclusive producer organization, Goleagorbu, and have access to international cocoa markets through production of traceable, high-quality cocoa. Farmer incomes have increased due to better yield, quality and producer organisations