Eco Restore Limited has been named Best Shea Nursery Operator of the Year at the 2026 Tree Crops Excellence Awards, recognizing its efforts to restore indigenous tree species and promote sustainable land management in Northern Ghana. The award underscores the company’s growing impact in reversing land degradation and strengthening biodiversity across the Savannah, Northern, and North East Regions.
According to Mr. Senyo Kpelly, Chief Executive Officer of Savannah & Sahel Commodities Ltd and co-founder of Eco Restore, the recognition reflects years of deliberate work to rebuild tree cover and restore soil fertility in farming communities. He warned that declining biodiversity and soil degradation pose significant threats to food security and farmer livelihoods in the region. Traditionally, farms in Northern Ghana maintained between 20 and 33 trees per acre, which helped regulate soil temperature, conserve moisture, and sustain crop yields. However, widespread tree felling and changing agricultural practices over the past three decades have left many farms exposed to extreme heat and declining productivity.
Eco Restore was established in 2019 without external funding to tackle these environmental challenges. Starting with a single nursery producing 10,000 seedlings—70 percent of which were shea—the company has expanded to 10 nurseries, each with the capacity to produce up to 100,000 seedlings. This growth has positioned it as one of the largest indigenous tree nursery operators in Northern Ghana. The company collaborates with research institutions to improve shea propagation and now produces grafted shea seedlings that can fruit in less than five years, significantly shortening the traditional maturation period.
Beyond shea, Eco Restore promotes 20 to 25 indigenous species, including rosewood, dawadawa, baobab, and mahogany, valued for food, timber, and medicinal uses. Mr. Kpelly described trees as a natural “air-conditioning system” that moderates temperatures, preserves soil moisture, and enhances ecosystem stability. He also expressed concern about the decline of pollinators due to excessive chemical use, noting that reduced pollinator populations further threaten crop and tree productivity.
The company is advocating improved soil management practices, discouraging bush burning, and encouraging the incorporation of organic matter to rebuild soil carbon levels. Mr. Kpelly emphasized that declining soil fertility has sharply reduced crop yields, with maize production in some areas falling from 12 to 15 bags per acre to as few as four. He warned that if soil health and biodiversity are not restored, farming will become increasingly unattractive to younger generations.
Eco Restore is also exploring carbon credit initiatives in partnership with organizations in the United Kingdom. Under this approach, farmers who maintain tree cover, protect biodiversity, and enhance soil carbon levels would receive financial incentives, linking environmental conservation with improved livelihoods. Mr. Kpelly stated that the Tree Crops Excellence Award has amplified awareness of environmental challenges in Northern Ghana and reinforced the need for resilient farming systems. He called on stakeholders in the shea value chain, development partners, and policymakers to support indigenous tree restoration efforts, stressing that biodiversity recovery is both an environmental necessity and an economic priority.
