Enhancing the Environmental and Economic Resiliency of Agricultural Production Systems through the adoption of Conservation Agriculture and Agroforestry practices in Ghana

Agriculture plays a key role in providing food, creating jobs and improving rural lives. However, climate change is making farming harder worldwide due to rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall, extreme weather (like heatwaves, floods and droughts), and an increase in pests and diseases. At the same time, the growing population means we need more food, which puts pressure on farmers, especially in regions like Sub-Saharan Africa. In countries like Ghana, many farmers still use traditional methods that can harm the environment and fail to meet the rising demand for food. This creates a threat to both the environment and food security.

To tackle this problem, farmers are being encouraged to adopt climate-smart practices that can help them deal with the impacts of climate change. These practices aim to improve soil quality, reduce harmful emissions, and boost farm productivity and profits. One such approach is Conservation Agriculture (CA), which focuses on three main ideas:

1.     Minimum or No Tillage: Farmers are encouraged to disturb the soil as little as possible. This helps protect the soil, reduces erosion and keeps moisture in, which leads to healthier crops and better yields.

2.     Mulching or Cover Cropping: This involves keeping plant residue or growing cover crops on the soil. It improves soil fertility, retains moisture, prevents erosion and controls weeds naturally.

3.     Crop Diversification: Growing a variety of crops through techniques like intercropping, agroforestry or crop rotation keeps the soil healthy and reduces the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides. This also helps farmers reduce risks in case one crop fails and gives them more sources of income.

Recognizing the importance of these practices, the GIZ/MOVE project, along with Ghana’s Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) and the Center for No-Till Agriculture (CNTA), organized trainings for agricultural extension workers and lead farmers. Between September 2023 and August 2024, 10 training sessions were held at CNTA, attended by participants from various regions in Ghana, including Bono, Bono East and the Northern regions. These sessions involved both classroom lessons and field practice, training 202 people (110 of whom were women) from 40 districts. The goal was to teach them how Conservation Agriculture works and how it can improve soil health and boost crop performance. The training also covered the different roles men and women play in farming and how to include gender equality in agricultural work. At the end of the training, each participant received a certificate.

In addition to the training, the GIZ/MOVE project has set up five demonstration farms in the Bono and Bono East regions, with plans to create 20 more in other districts. These demo fields are real-life examples where farmers can see the benefits of Conservation Agriculture firsthand, which encourages them to try these methods on their own farms. So far, 201 farmers have visited these demo fields and learned about the potential for higher crop yields, lower costs, and better resilience to climate change.

In summary, adopting Conservation Agriculture and agroforestry practices gives hope for a stronger and more resilient farming sector in Ghana. These methods not only help farmers adapt to climate change but also ensure they can continue to provide food for the country in a sustainable way for years to come.