Project 2: ROAP, a solution to confront a hidden menace.
This article deals with the ROAP (Regenerative and Organic Agriculture Project) and it is divided into three main parts presented in the article as follows:
1° The ROA’s methods
2° The value chain development
3° The environmental awareness campaign
ROAP will tackle food insecurity and promote a better consumption of organic products in the small hubs in the Northern region of Ghana, through the implementation of ROA methods and a value chain development in the agricultural sector. The West Mamprusi District is one of the impoverished districts in theNorthern Region of Ghana.
In November 2014, DFPG started to collaborate inthe local context analysis. We are actually elaborating a project proposal withthe intent of training the farmerfamilies of the West Mamprusi District on ROA methods, to promote a sustainable agriculture.
THE SITUATION TODAY IN GHANA:
First things first, what can be called pesticide?
Pesticides are insecticides, herbicides, nematicides and fungicides. To explain why Emmanuel decided to create this project, we should mention the numerous harrowing stories involving farmers in Walewale, in the West Mamprusi district, who transported pesticides on the back of their bicycle, tying containers holding chemicals next to their bags of seeds to feed their family and leading to their death. Emmanuel felt the need for further action when a whole family he knew died of intoxication.
Not to mention that the World Health Organisation (WHO) states acute pesticide poisoning affects 3 million people and accounts for 20,000 unintentional deaths a year.
Despite Ghana’s death toll, many farmers are still unaware of the hazards of pesticides use and are being suffering a range of problems because its use (impotency among male farmers, infertility, skin irritation, difficulty in breathing, death…) as they are exposed to the chemical pesticides every time they use them to control insects and diseases on their crops.
The Ghanaian government has embarked on various partnerships aimed at increasing agricultural productivity, jointly with actions to sell pesticides to the farmers. A closer look at this industry can reveal a poor handling of those agro chemicals, posing danger to farmers and society in general.
In Ghana, 90% of agricultural input dealers sell crop protection chemicals (source: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) survey). One can therefore easily observe the agro chemical industry which is spreading out with his impact on health (no proper disposal for the empty chemical containers, higher risk for children exposed to the pesticides…)
Why doing this? What is the actual situation for the farmers of Ghana?
It is important to emphasize the importance of agriculture, hunting and forestry in the Northern Region of Ghana since together they account for the employment of 71, 2% of the economically active population, aged 15 years and older!
So far, DFPG collaborated with around 500 FBOs farmers and we are now able to reach about 100 local farmers within a year, farmers who are nowadays using chemical pesticides and fertilizers after having adopted the conventional way of farming.
Besides these statistics, DFPG assessed the risks and damages to humans, livestock and the environment; we observed a continuous use of the land without proper care, causing a noticeable drop in crop yields over the last years.
DFPG is more than ever convinced of the necessity to offer the people of Ghana a coherent agriculture plan to escape dependence on pesticides and an alternative to respect living species health and finally protect the integrity of the environment.
Concerning the agricultural sector, DFPG observed:
environmental issues connected to the over-exploitation of natural resources;
lack of training in the commercialization of products;
fragile connection between rural area and urban area;
hard access to the urban markets;
small knowledge about the nutritional value of local organic products;
severe food shortage in lean season (dry period);
low economic value of the products in the market.
As a consequence, in the mid-summer of 2014, DFPG - working in the food security sector in Ghana - started to use organic methods of agriculture. DFPG is in fact willing to reduce chemical inputs in agriculture to ensure a transition to organic farming.
The project will operate to achieve food security as an integrated development and a sustainable food production system in order to eradicate hunger and poverty. This tedious work is ensured with our Farmer Based Organizations (FBOs, please refer to 2° The value chain development for further information) from the poorer rural areas of Northern Region. Our energy is dedicated mainly to teach new organic alternatives to tackle health issues, useless spending on chemicals that nature can perfectly provide and respect the soil and the environment.
DFPG eagers to empower small farming communities by giving them the right tools to work on their land while respecting the environment, their health and those of the villagers who will consume the products of the farm. Besides we want the farmers to be able to commercialize themselves without the need of any intermediates.
The main innovation element is represented by the implementation of the Regenerative and Organic Agriculture methods. The farmers involved will implement the ROA methods and teach other farmers on the new techniques.
- A reduction of expenses and costs for the smallholder and farming families
- the dissemination and the capitalization of the results through the training of farmer promoters
- the spreading of information on non-toxic packaging
- a purification of the soils contaminated with chemical products imported; a thing nature can perfectly handle itself without any harm only in so far as we inform ourselves and teach our neighbor. The focus is specifically on herbicides (most commonly called “weedicides”) and chemical fertilizers to which we propose organic and healthy alternatives such as: animal faeces, compost, cover cropping, green manuring, preventing and controlling bushfires, and we continue our active investigation to find new alternatives.
- a better nutrition in rural and urban areas, improving the quality of food, the diversification and the access to organic agro-food products;
- a small way to pay tribute to the planet which has been feeding every living species for millennia.
2° The value chain development
Implementing this chain means integrating the farming families to the Farmer Based Organizations (FBOs) and the urban markets. It aims improving the cooperation and coordination along the value chain of the agro-food sector.
FBO? What is it?
FBO stands for Farmer Based Organisations , a particularly efficient use of agriculture for a rapid dissemination of technologies to small scale farmers. An FBO aims to organize farmers into groups in order to empower them to participate in decision making affecting their welfare in the market and social political arena. Additionally, it aims to increase the potential of the farmers to benefit from the economies of scale inherent in operating into groups. For more information, check the website www.fboghana.com
The first step of the value chain strategy will be a baseline survey of the local market and buyers in the West Mamprusi District and the family farmers’ part of the FBOs of the area.
At the same time will be carried on a costs and benefits analysis oriented to the creation of new markets opportunities in the agro-food organic business for the farming families.
The creation of a strategy will be oriented to:
Analyzing and understanding the key elements of the food supply chain processes, procedures and transactions, in order to find the most adequate practices to promote;
Participation of all stakeholders of the value chain, after identifying them. In fact we are looking for their support and their expertise to our project;
Promotion of efficiency and communication among the producers, the intermediates, the sellers and the consumers;
Ensuring environmental sustainability in each part of the chain;
Enhancement of the commercial capacity of the farmers to produce healthier crops and minimize or even completely abandon the use of agro-chemicals.
The ultimate goal however is to contribute to the national effort to increase natural practice for an aware food production security.
3° The environmental awareness campaign
During the project DFPG and the local FBOs will create local campaigns in favor of the family farmers, through the implementation of empowerment activities and the sensitization of the local decision makers (political and economic institutions) and the community to organic and local food consumption..
It is not without pointing out the visual storytelling as an important part of turning successful projects into examples to copy in larger proportions throughout the world.
This is why DFPG is collecting a part of the funds to create and present an educational and recreational visual aid for the awareness campaign to come throughout Mamprusi District.
When would the campaign start?
As soon as we gather enough funds to finish what has been started!
The ROA methods were created by the members of DFPG with the view to inculcating them to the family farmers of the West Mamprusi district.
The final consumers will be the beneficiaries of the campaign on organic and local products consumption. They will in fact have a clear visibilty and enough information on what they will bring back home.
You ! Such an ambitious project requires funds and awareness from each individual. DFPG challenges every institution and foundation to also take on this challenge and stand by our side for the sake of the planet and living species.
In the West Mamprusi District there are 10 local markets, scattered in several communities all over the district, and 4 big markets closer to the urban area in the regional capitals.
The commercialization of agro-food products is characterized by the use of intermediates who buy the products at lower prices (in absence of value chain and storage facilities).
What will be the benefits of DFPG’s actions?
The application of ROA methods will build a resilient food system in the area, reducing costs and allow the producers to save money and invest in education, equipments, a healthy diet... Moreover, the beneficiaries will improve crop yields while conserving natural resources.
The project, also, will improve a local competitiveness, promoting a market strategy for organic products, and will identify the key value chain stakeholders and create access in the local urban markets.
Last but not least, DFPG tackles the adverse health effect of pesticides revealing and teaching green and natural alternatives.
How would the funds be invested?
20% baseline survey on local urban markets and consumers
30% start a pilot project in the implementation of ROA methods
DFPG is actually looking at ways to reorganize the percentages to include a part for setting up a center with the appropriate structures for a full implementation of the project.
More than 90% of pesticides fatalities are believed to occur in developing countries.
Promoting alternatives to pesticides are ongoing in farming communities in Northern Ghana but need greater support: yours, ours, all together. Here is a promotion from the non-profit organisation Africa RISING summarising what has been said here very well:
In order for our training to succeed, it is crucial that the structure and the “green practices” are understood. It is obvious that massive agriculture and/or chemical agriculture are extremely likely to have been the dominant hazard to any living species since the mid-20th century.
Today, all fertilizers used in Ghana is imported to pollute the earth, the aquifers, the animals and the people. DFPG has still time to promote such values as respect of the living species and the environment, education for everyone, awakening of Ghanaian consciences and communication.
DFPG eagers to foster the farmers’ self-sufficiency with the objective of giving them a clear vision on what is put in their hands and what they naturally have in their possession.
