Sector: Governance and Public Sector Reform
Region: Sub-Saharan Africa
Funded by:
CIDA
Total Value: C$9,700,000
Ghana, Ghana Farmer Responsive Mechanism in Extension and Research (in association with CHF) 2002-2007: December 2002–December 2007
Project Description
Agriteam participated in a consortium led by CHF to increase capacity for and improve access to and use of demand-driven agricultural information and technology. The goal of the project was to strengthen farmer directed and driven mechanisms for extension and research service delivery in Ghana’s three northern regions. Through grants, FARMER supported innovative research activities that directly responded to the food security needs of farmers in this unique region: partners included the Savanna Agriculture Research Institute (SARI), the Animal Research Institute (ARI), the Water Research Institute (WRI), and the University of Development Studies (UDS). Promising food security initiatives were extended to farmers through the Ministry of Agriculture regional and district offices and non-governmental extension service partners. At the centre of research and extension service design and delivery was the adoption and expansion of participatory approaches which focused on the food security needs and livelihood strategies of men and women farmers.
The project had three main objectives:
a) improve access to and use of demand-driven agricultural information and technology by low-income and resource-poor farm households, agro-processors, marketers, and communities in north Ghana;
b) develop and adopt more diversified, sustainable and appropriate agricultural technology to improve farm and household management; and
c) develop models of collaboration and partnership for relevant agricultural information and technology generation, transfer, and utilization in northern Ghana. Additionally, the project is integrating the cross-cutting themes of gender equality, the environment, HIV/AIDS and ethnic conflict mitigation into all project activities.