ActionAid Ghana has recommended that the Northern Development Authority (NDA) promotes agroecology and food sovereignty in northern parts of the country, in order to mitigate the ever-growing threat of agriculture under-productivity and food insecurity.

Making a presentation at University for Development Studies’ Harmattan School, on the theme ‘Bridging the Gap between North and South; the NGO’s Perspective’, Head of Programmes, Campaigns and Innovations at ActionAid, Justin Bayor, posited that climate change is playing a major role in stifling development in the North.

“The North’s vulnerability includes the threat of floods, prolonged droughts, rising temperatures, unreliable rainfall, severe windstorms and other climate-related emergencies which are already negatively impacting agriculture and threatening productivity and food security,” he noted.

Fatalities due to floods in northern Ghana are reported to be alarmingly high and burdensome, and are usually occasioned by spillage from the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso.

Indeed, between 2018 and 2020, 78 people were killed by floods; 23,371 houses were collapsed by floods, rendering 100,000 people homeless; and 94,379 acres of farmland was destroyed resulting in food insecurity for northern Ghana, according to data from the National Disaster Management Organisation.

Equally, the World Food Programme has indicated that at least three out of every 100 households in the north is either severely or moderately food insecure; and the poor nutritional status of children in the North is about double the national average.

Besides, more than 70 percent of northern Ghana’s population depend on unimodal rain-fed agriculture for their food, income and livelihoods.

The over-dependence on rainfall, declining soil fertility etc. coupled with limited access to inputs according to Mr. Bayor, has resulted in low agricultural productivity and incomes.

“It is estimated that for a period of 7-8 months in the year, most of the agricultural population in the North has no alternative or complementary means of securing their livelihoods – as infrastructure to support off-season agricultural activities is underdeveloped or non-existent,” he said.

The organisation also recommended that government should work swiftly to ensure women’s enhanced and secured access to and control of land and other productive resources, by lobbying and engaging landowners on the economic value it brings to women and their families. “We also suggest that the Northern Development Authority promote climate justice to address loss and damage by requesting supporting development partners to build the resilience of at -risk communities through the development and implementation of climate adaptation plans.”

ActionAid called on the NDA and other agencies to add their voice to the advocacy on passing the Criminal Offences (Amendment) bill 2022 into Law to close-down witch-camps in the northern regions.

Source: BFT

USAID’s Feed the Future Ghana Mobilizing Finance in Agriculture (MFA) Activity, in collaboration with Ghana Resilience in Northern Ghana (RING II) Activity, Policy LINK and Market Systems and Resilience (MSR) Activity, held a Breakfast Meeting and Mini Fair for female-led agribusinesses in Tamale, Northern Region onWednesday March 8, 2023, to commemorate InternationalWomen’s Day.

The event showcased the important role and contribution of female-led/owned agribusiness in the Feed the Future target value chains of maize, soy, groundnut, cowpea, mango, cashew, shea to food security, and inclusive economic growth in Ghana. It was attended by over 150 stakeholders in the agricultural sector including representatives of USAID, government and non-governmental organizations, women’s groups, trade associations, transaction advisors and financial institutions.

The event featured a breakfast meeting addressed by representatives of USAID and implementing partners, Northern Regional Directorates of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and Gender, Children and Social Protection; a panel discussion on “Enhancing Women’s Contribution to Agriculture through Access to Finance and Technology for Food Security and Improved Livelihoods”; a pitching session that connected the female-led/owned agribusinesses to MFA partner financial institutions for investment; and a mini fair on financial, digital and business advisory products/services, and agricultural produce.

The highlight of the celebration was the recognition of a women’s group and two MFA partner financial institutions for supporting women to realize their potential and contribute towards Ghana’s agriculture sector. Kusanaba Women’s Group was recognized for empowering over 1,200 women in the Upper East Region to process shea butter to mitigate the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on their livelihoods; Bawku East Small Scale Farmers Association Rural Bank for financing the highest number of female-led/owned agribusinesses in the Upper East Region; and Tumu Cooperative Credit Union for disbursing the highest value of financing to female-led/owned agribusinesses in the UpperWest Region.

International Women’s Day is celebrated globally on March 8 in recognition of women’s social, economic, cultural, and political achievements. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity, equity, and empowerment. This year’s celebrations held under the theme, “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality” will explore the impact of the digital gender gap on widening economic and social inequalities.

“Agriculture is paramount in driving Ghana’s sustainable economic growth and journey to self-reliance.The contribution of women who constitute more than half of Ghana’s population is critical,” said Dr.Victor Antwi, Chief of Party, Feed the Future Ghana Mobilizing Finance in Agriculture Activity.“USAID is through the MFA Activity working with transaction advisors and partner financial institutions to ensure agribusinesses including improved livelihoods.”

As of February 2023, MFA had facilitated $192.9 million to 25,408 agribusinesses including 54% female-led enterprises in the maize,soy, groundnut, cowpea, cashew, mango, and shea value chains.The US Government, also through the MFA,released $2.77 million under the COVID-19 Relief and Resilience Challenge Fund in 2022 to support over 29,000 smallholder farmers and rural enterprises to mitigate the negative impacts of the pandemic and become more resilient against possible future shocks.

About USAID

USAID is the lead U.S. government agency that works to end extreme global poverty and enable resilient, democratic societies to realize their potential. USAID’s activities and strategic partnerships support Ghana’s journey to self-reliance and advance an integrated approach to development. USAID promotes accountability, sustainable systems, and inclusive development.

About Feed the Future

Feed the Future is the U.S. Government’s initiative to end global hunger. Led by USAID and driven by collaborative partnerships across public and private sectors, including 11 U.S. Government agencies, Feed the Future addresses the root causes of poverty and hunger. This is done by boosting inclusive agriculture-led economic growth,resilience, and nutrition in countries with great need and opportunity for improvement.

About Feed the Future Ghana MFA Activity

The Feed the Future Ghana Mobilizing Finance in Agriculture (MFA) Activity is a USAID activity that will improve access to finance for farmers and agribusinesses in Ghana. The Activity enables transaction advisors to support agribusinesses to secure loans and investment. MFA also assists diverse financial institutions to expand financing of farmers and agribusinesses, so that enterprises can purchase agricultural inputs (such as seeds and fertilizers), invest in processing, expand production, and scale operations. From 2020 to 2024, MFA is to help 81,493 enterprises access $261 million in finance, leading to $500 million in new sales. MFA is also supporting Ghana’s agricultural financing system to mitigate the negative impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on farmers and agribusinesses.

Source: MFA

The Board of Directors of the African Development Fund has approved a $27.9 million grant to Ghana for the development of agricultural value chains in the Savannah region. The grant will increase the climate-resilient production of maize, rice and soybean, support the poultry value chain, and generate employment for women and youth. It will increase the incomes of farmers and support household nutrition, especially in more vulnerable women-headed households.

This would be achieved through the facilitation of private sector investment in sustainable value chains associated with commercial maize, soybean and rice production, with an integrated poultry value chain, which will primarily involve women and youth. The Savannah Agriculture Value Chain Development Project will be implemented by Ghana’s Ministry of Food and Agriculture from 2023 to 2027. Overall, the project will benefit at least 150, 000 people indirectly and 50,000 directly. It will add to the production of at least 8,000 hectares of new rice, maize and soybean, which will improve feed availability for the poultry industry.

This grant aligns with the Bank’s medium-term development framework for 2022-2025, which seeks to provide conditions for the private sector to boost growth and create abundant employment opportunities, especially for the youth by transforming agriculture and industry. It is also aligned to the Bank’s priority area focusing on the development of agro-ecological zones, especially the Savannah regions of Africa and creating opportunities for the continent’s youth.

The Bank’s Acting Vice-President of its Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery Complex, Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade, said building local capacity, would help reduce imports and help Ghana to mitigate the negative impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on global food systems. It would also alleviate the impact of climate change, in line with the Bank’s African Emergency Food Production Facility, she noted.

“This builds on Bank’s earlier investments in the savannah areas of Ghana, putting 20,000 hectares of maize and soybean under production using conservation agriculture practices and technologies. This project has come at a time that Ghana seeks to enhance domestic production and reduce imports. These are the key objectives of Bank’s Feed Africa Strategy,” said Martin Fregene, the Bank’s Sector Director of Agriculture and Industry.

The grant will support farmers with farm inputs to produce climate resilient rice, maize and soybean. It will also support the production of certified seeds by commercial farmers and work closely with the Savannah Agriculture Research Institute, to support smallholder farmers with equipment to improve planting and crop husbandry. This support will include the enforcement of community by-laws and promote the use of hybrid seeds, good agriculture practices and sound water, climate resilience and adaptation and integrated pest management.

The project will also enhance the capacity of Micro and Small-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and offer skills development for youth and women through sustainable entrepreneurship and mentoring programs, especially in the poultry value chain.

On the approval of the project, Eyerusalem Fasika, Ghana Country Manager of the African Development Bank said “the approval of this project is a significant addition to the Bank’s active agriculture portfolio in the country with immense potential to contribute to sustainable food systems in Ghana. Furthermore, the project’s approval is an opportune time for the Bank to support the Government in its efforts to produce enough basic commodities to meet food security challenges and support industrialization.”

Source : https://www.afdb.org/