FAO invests US$200M to restore 18,000 hectares of degraded land for cocoa
This investment addresses compliance gaps with the EUDR, ensuring Nigerian farmers remain competitive in European markets.
NIGERIA – The Food and Agriculture Organization has announced plans to invest US$200 million in restoring 18,000 hectares of degraded land in Cross River and Ondo states, supporting the cultivation of cocoa and oil palm.
Supported by funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the initiative aims to accomplish several key objectives, including the development of two Integrated Landscape Management (ILM) frameworks at the state level.
It also involves creating four integrated land-use plans at the local government level and enhancing four gender-sensitive policies, regulations, and financing frameworks to promote sustainable land management.
Through the project, 10,800 hectares in Cross River and 8,000 hectares in Ondo will be restored using regenerative agriculture and forestry techniques.
Ms. Nifesimi Ogunkua, FAO’s Climate Change Specialist, revealed this during a four-day Participatory Informed Landscape Approach (PILA) Workshop in Calabar.
She emphasised that the project aims to address land degradation while promoting sustainable agricultural practices.
Moreover, she added that the initiative aligns with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), helping Nigerian farmers stay competitive in European markets.
Mr. Timehin Adelegbe, a member of the House of Representatives representing the Ondo constituency, distributed 100,000 improved cocoa seedlings to enhance agricultural productivity and food production.
The new investment follows the National Bureau of Statistics’ (NBS) report, which indicates that Nigeria exported N1.2 trillion (US$0.78 billion) of cocoa in 2024, up from N171 billion (US$0.11 billion) in 2023, representing a 606 percent increase in the fourth quarter of 2024.
According to the report, the country’s cocoa exports increased by 92 percent from N624.71 billion (approximately US$0.41 billion) in Q3 2024.
The increase, due to seasonality and unfavourable weather conditions affecting the two major global bean producers, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, allowed Nigerian cocoa farmers and exporters to steadily cash in on the cocoa price rally.
As a result of the price rally, new and existing farmers began reviving old cocoa trees and planting new ones to tap into the booming cash crop value chain.
Superior-quality cocoa beans worth N477.95 billion (US$0.31 billion) and N108.09 billion (US$70 million) were exported to the Netherlands and Malaysia, respectively.
In contrast, standard-quality cocoa beans worth N110.84 billion (US$72 million) and N48.96 billion (US$32 million) were exported to the Netherlands and Belgium, respectively.
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