Primary objective:
The Primary objective of this project is to contribute to the resilience of Weto as a socio-ecological landscape through active participation of communities in the sustainable management and utilization of biodiversity for increased production and wealth creation. This will be done through the promotion of medicinal plant gardens and cultivation as tools for biodiversity conservation and livelihood enhancement in twelve (12) communities from two(2) traditional areas CRMCs (Holuta and Kpoeta) within the Zio-Tordzie CREMA.

Project results:
? Project Result 1: 30 herbalists in Zio-Tordzie CREMA acquired improved knowledge on conservation, sustainable harvesting, and cultivation of medicinal plants from the wild;
? Project Result 2: A total of 5.0ha of medicinal plant gardens well established by 2 CRMCs in the Zio-Tordzie CREMA and cultivation of 10 acres by 10 community members including herbalist;
? Project Result 3: Certified medicinal plant value chain developed and operational under effective quality control and management;
Project Result 4: One (1) community processing facility for medicinal plants established and managed in Zio-Tordzie CREMA.

The project implementation experiences, lessons, processes and results would be documented and shared through participatory monitoring and review meetings.

Project Outputs and Activities

Project Result 1: 30 herbalists in Zio-Tordzie CREMA acquired improved knowledge on conservation, sustainable harvesting, and cultivation of medicinal plants from the wild;

3.3.1 Output: 30 herbalists with increased capacity and skills applying their vocation sustainably:
This will be carried through the engagement of critical stakeholders and partners in academia/research e.g. School of Pharmacy of University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) to be involved in the project implementation; identifying and documenting medicinal plants with support from Forestry Commission (FC), and Herbal practitioners and also setting up of, training and providing of startup kits for VSLA groups in 2 CRMCs to promote sustainable financial base of the beneficiary communities and also a s means for regular meeting of the project beneficiaries.
Activities:
1.1. Facilitate project communication in 2 traditional areas/CRMCs and introduce project to larger relevant stakeholders and partners;
1.2. Organize 1 consultative engagement with stakeholders and partners in academia/Research (UHAS) and FC to develop MoU for their involvement;
1.3. Facilitate the identification and documentation of the community herbal practitioners and indigenous knowledge/ herbs and uses in the 2 CRMCs for training;
1.4. Organize 2 sessions of non-residential training workshop for 30 selected community herbal practitioners and integrate them into CREMA activities;
1.5. Facilitate the development of project information, communication and education (ICE) materials (brochure, poster and sticker) and 3 media engagements; radio talks and field visit/outreaches for public awareness.
1.6. Set up and organize 2-day each non-residential training for VSLA groups and supply startup kits.
Project Result 2: A total of 5.0ha of medicinal plant gardens established in 2 CRMCs of the Zio-Tordzie CREMA and cultivation of 10 acres by 10 community members including herbalist;
3.3.2 Output 2: 5.0ha of medicinal plant gardens setup in 2 CRMCs within Zio-Tordzie and 10 acres of medicinal plant farm cultivated.
This will be facilitated through selection and acquisition of degraded forest sites of the CREMA core zone including forest parches in the 2 CRMCs for the establishment of medicinal plant gardens, engaging the community to identify relevant medicinal plants, collection of planting materials (seeds and cuttings) and establishment of plants nurseries. This is also the stage to upscale the analog forestry technique for restoration by mimicking the original forest in practice. The medicinal plant garden will therefore include some timber forest species, but the garden/forest will contain more medicinal plants.

Activities:
2.1 Facilitate 2 consultative and negotiation engagements with 2 CRMCs leaders and family heads to select and acquire land/site to establish medicinal gardens, develop and sign benefit sharing agreement with CREMA Executives;
2.2 Facilitate selection of 20 community volunteers including all genders to be trained in nursery management (10 volunteers as caretakes) and cultivation of medicinal plants (10 volunteers support them to set up farms)
2.3 Procure nursery equipment and set up 2 nursery sites in the CRMCs to produce seedlings for medicinal gardens;

Project Result 3: Certified medicinal plant value chain developed and operationalized under effective quality control and management for 100 actors;

3.3.3 Output 3: Certified Green value chain for herbal medicine serving 100 actors developed.

This output will be achieved through identifying and engaging of stakeholders and partners in medicinal plants value chain; collectors of planting materials, nursery operators, cultivators, harvesters, and other actors on the value chain, develop their capacity in various value chain variables including packaging, branding, marketing, quality control and certification as well as signing MoUs with identified value chain actors.

Activities:
3.1 Conduct survey on the herbal medicine value chain to identify, document and recommend actions for the medicinal plants and herbal value chain development;
3.2 Organize 1-day validation meetings to engage stakeholders for discussion and reach consensus on standards and practices for the chain;
3.3 Organize 2 sessions non-residential capacity building for various identified herbal value chain actors;
3.4 Pretesting processing possibilities using small machines such as food blenders/extractors to derive products such as tea/powders/liquids for product testing.
3.5 Facilitate processes to register and certify the prototypes of medicinal plant products with various statutory bodies including Food and Drugs Authority including packaging design.

Project Result 4: One (1) community processing facility for medicinal plants set up and managed.
3.3.4: Output 4: Site for community medicinal plants processing facility procured and prepared.
This output will be achieved through consulting Zio-Tordzie CREMA Executive Committee and respective Traditional leaders, District Assembly, Opinion leaders and community members for the selection of appropriate site for the establishment of the facility, engaging appropriate Processing facility technicians for designing and guidance procurement of facility, including integrating the best practices into production processing, personnel and marketing outlets. The site selection, design and quantities will be completed in Year One of the project while actual setting up and operation of the facility will take place in Year Two of the propject.
Activities:
4.1 Facilitate 1-day consultative meetings with relevant stakeholders including traditional leaders to select appropriate site for the establishment of processing facility,
4.2 Engage processing facility technicians to select, design and provide quantities for appropriate processing facility,
Lessons learnt and documentation.
The project will undertake quarterly routine field monitoring to capture first-hand information and document, mid-term participatory review meeting for assessing progress of the project by beneficiaries and end-of project phase 1. There will also be one webinar targeting other national NGOs and those of the GEF CSOs Network. The following activities would be undertaken administratively:
? Carry out quarterly routine monitoring to ensure field activities are fully carried out as planned.
? Organize 1-day mid-term participatory review meeting for 35 participants to assess the progress of project.
? Organize 1-day end-of project phase1 stakeholder consultative meeting with community leaders and related local government institutions (District Assembly, FC, Traditional Authorities, UHAS, GEF SGP Sec) for max 40 participants to capture the next step/phase for the project.
? Organize one 2-hour webinar for local CSOs engage in biodiversity conservation and those of the GEF CSOs networks and potential partners