Ama Serwaa: The Voice of Ghana’s Cocoa Farmers & Climate Resilience
From Humble Beginnings to Global Forums
Deep in the verdant stretches of the Ashanti cocoa belt, Ama Serwaa rises before dawn—not just as a farmer, but as a voice for the silenced. A third-generation cocoa cultivator, Ama’s legacy was rooted in the red soils long before she became an international figure. But it’s her bold step into environmental advocacy that has transformed her from a local leader into a global changemaker.
In 2022, Ama founded Cocoa Roots Voices, a storytelling and climate action platform dedicated to giving cocoa farmers a seat at the policy table. Through oral histories, field documentaries, and sustainable farming training, she’s ignited a wave of grassroots awareness that’s now spreading far beyond Ghana’s borders.
Cocoa Roots Voices: A Movement is Born
What began as a WhatsApp group of 17 farmers sharing composting tips has evolved into a continental network with over 4,000 members from 5 West African countries. Her initiative bridges the gap between rural wisdom and global strategy, offering real-world insight to NGOs, donors, and climate negotiators.
“We are the first to feel climate change and the last to be heard,” Ama told the audience at the 2024 African Climate Forum in Nairobi. “This is our land, and
hat has transformed her from a local leader into a global changemaker.
In 2022, Ama founded Cocoa Roots Voices, a storytelling and climate action platform dedicated to giving cocoa farmers a seat at the policy table. Through oral histories, field documentaries, and sustainable farming training, she’s ignited a wave of grassroots awareness that’s now spreading far beyond Ghana’s borders.
Cocoa Roots Voices: A Movement is Born
What began as a WhatsApp group of 17 farmers sharing composting tips has evolved into a continental network with over 4,000 members from 5 West African countries. Her initiative bridges the gap between rural wisdom and global strategy, offering real-world insight to NGOs, donors, and climate negotiators.
“We are the first to feel climate change and the last to be heard,” Ama told the audience at the 2024 African Climate Forum in Nairobi. “This is our land, and we know how to heal it.”
Key Milestones
- US$200,000 Grant Funding: Secured from the Rainforest Alliance and EU Green Deal Fund, allowing her to launch training modules in sustainable agroforestry and water conservation.
- Media Recognition: Her story has been profiled in the Financial Times, Reuters, and National Geographic—raising international awareness of Ghana’s climate-adaptive farming.
- Kumasi Training Hub: Slated to open in late 2025, the center will train 1,500+ youth annually in regenerative farming, climate advocacy, and digital literacy.
Challenges on the Ground
Ama's activism hasn’t come without resistance. “I’ve been told to stay quiet and focus on farming,” she recalls. “But if we don't speak now, there may be no land left to farm.” She continues to face infrastructural hurdles—limited internet in rural areas, skepticism from traditional leadership, and gender biases in decision-making spaces.
Still, Ama persists, using storytelling as a tool of empowerment. Her documentary short, “The Tree Knows My Name”, is now screened in rural schools and climate conferences alike.
Her Words, Her Legacy
“Our voices shape our destiny,” Ama often says. But beyond the quote lies a clear ambition: to cultivate not only cocoa, but courage; not only trees, but truth.
As global conversations around deforestation and ethical trade intensify, Ama Serwaa’s leadership ensures that the people at the heart of the ecosystem—the farmers—are not forgotten. She’s not just cultivating cocoa anymore; she’s cultivating change.
Related Topics:
#Ama Serwaa
#Ghana�s Cocoa
#Farmers & Climate Resilience
