A nine-month agroecology project aimed at empowering women and smallholder farmers to adopt sustainable farming practices and improve food and livelihood security in Northern Ghana has been launched in Bolgatanga.
The project is being implemented by a consortium comprising the Widows and Orphans Movement (WOM), Trax Ghana under the Beela Project, Bugbon Farms, Volta Sustainable Farms, the Organisation for Indigenous Initiatives and Sustainability (ORGIIS), and the Centre for Ecological Agriculture and Livelihoods.
It is funded by the 11th Hour Project Food Sovereignty Fund of RSF Social Finance.
The project is being implemented in selected districts and municipalities, including Nabdam, Bongo, Talensi, Kassena-Nankana West, Bolgatanga Municipality and Kassena-Nankana Municipality in the Upper East Region, as well as the West Mamprusi Municipality in the North East Region.
It targets 360 direct beneficiary farmers, with at least 50 per cent expected to be women, alongside widows, youth and other smallholder farmers.
More than 20,000 people are also expected to benefit indirectly through radio programmes to be broadcast in four local languages.
Ms Elizabeth Anafo, Head of Programmes at WOM, said the project was designed to address the growing climate-related challenges confronting agriculture in Northern Ghana, including erratic rainfall patterns, prolonged dry spells, declining soil fertility, land degradation and limited access to productive resources, finance, markets and appropriate technologies.
She said the project was anchored on four key objectives: enhancing farmers’ production capacity, promoting an enabling environment for agroecology and sustainable standards, documenting and disseminating indigenous and innovative agroecological knowledge, and strengthening collaboration, policy dialogue and advocacy.
Ms Anafo noted that the project would also address gender inequalities that restricted women’s access to land, productive resources, decision-making opportunities and economic empowerment.
She said it would further strengthen collaboration among farmers, government institutions, civil society organisations and traditional authorities.
Under the project, beneficiary farmers will receive training on the production and use of alternative agricultural inputs through demonstrations and farmer-to-farmer learning approaches, as well as financial management skills.
The implementing partners will also promote home gardening on small parcels of land, provide introductory training on sustainable and organic farming standards, and support the documentation and dissemination of indigenous knowledge and farmer-led innovations.
Ms Anafo said the overarching goal was to strengthen collaboration between farmers and policymakers to enhance climate resilience, economic viability and knowledge sharing while improving the livelihoods and food security of women, widows, youth and smallholder farmers.
“By the end of the project, we expect more farmers to apply agroecological practices and sustainably manage soils and natural resources, while women are expected to play stronger roles in agricultural decision-making and gain greater access to opportunities,” she said.
She added that the project sought to build resilient agricultural production systems, improve livelihood opportunities, strengthen institutional support for agroecology and encourage its integration into the development plans of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).
Mr Vincent Subbey, Director of Trax Ghana, said the excessive use of agrochemicals for agricultural activities continued to degrade farmland and negatively affect food security.
He said it was important for farmers to revisit traditional farming methods, which were healthier, environmentally friendly and sustainable.
Alhaji Zakaria Fuseini, Upper East Regional Director of the Department of Agriculture, commended the implementing organisations for introducing the project.
He said the growing effects of climate change underscored the need for farmers to adopt agroecological methods to improve agricultural productivity and sustainability.
Alhaji Fuseini also advocated the integration of agroecological practices into all agricultural activities to safeguard soil fertility and enhance crop health.
By Anthony Adongo Apubeo
