The Consortium for Restorative Economy Development (CRED) was formed with the aim to develop and promote smart approaches to sustainable landscapes in Ghana. As many rural folks in Ghana and other sub-Saharan countries struggle to move above the poverty line and reach their full potential, CRED has realized that there are barriers that these poor farmers are not able to overcome based on their individual strengths.

We promote a paradigm shift from thinking that limits regeneration our natural environment as a result of human activities with state of the art science and practice towards a vision of a new era where socio-ecological balances are restored (Restorative Economy). The key aspect of this new vision towards the development of rural economies is the incorporation of regenerative development which ensures that ecological health of the landscape improves rather than degenerates.

Currently CRED is developing a landscape project in the Ashanti Region of Ghana that includes Ghana’s only Strict Nature Reserve (Kogyae) and its adjoining lands. CRED intends to use the "Community Resource Management Area" (CREMA) approach which involves the devolution of authority for the management of natural resources including wildlife in areas that are designated as CREMA lands. For financial sustainability, CRED intends to demonstrate the use of bamboo for landscape restoration as done in other parts of the world.

It is expected that the many benefits that communities get as a result of bamboo agroforestry development will move the local economy of the landscape from conventional to a regenerative economy resulting in moving about 5% of households in first five years above the poverty line and a further 25% over a 10-year period.

CRED has three founding members, Bamboo for Integrated Development Ghana www.bambooid.org , Biodiversity Heritage Associates www.biodiversityadvocates.org and OKO Forests www.okoforests.org