By Philip Tengzu, GNA
Wa, (UW/R), Oct. 18, GNA – The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) has advocated for farmers to adopt agroecology and circular economy as sustainable farming practices to adapt to the climate change impact on their farming.
Agroecology is sustainable farming that works with nature.
It said climate variability such as unpredictable rainfall patterns and excessive droughts affect food production and result in farmers losing their livelihoods.
Mr Bismarck Owusu Nortey, the Executive Director of PFAG, said this in Wa during a sensitisation workshop for farmers on agroecology and circular economy for ecosystems in sub-Saharan Africa.
The workshop, which was on the theme: “Sustainable Agriculture for a Greener and Resilient Future,” under the “Agroecology and Circular Economy for Ecosystem Services” (ACE4ES) project was also to commemorate this year’s World Food Day.
It was organised by PFAG in partnership with the Crop Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-CRI) with support from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
It brought together farmers from some districts and municipalities in the region, traditional leaders, and private sector actors.
“We feel that if farmers are able to adapt to climate change by adopting some key agroecological practices, like minimum tillage, cover cropping and a couple of other practices, they can be able to protect themselves from the harsh realities of climate change,” Mr Nortey explained.
He said while the government was putting in place measures to mitigate the effect of climate change on farmers, farmers should also adopt sustainable farming practices including agroecology to complement the government’s efforts.
Dr. Kwaku Asante, A Research Scientist with the CSIR-CRI, noted that adopting agroecology would reduce the cost of production through reduced use of synthetic fertilizers and other chemicals for farming.
He explained that cover cropping with leguminous crops such as cowpeas and groundnuts fixed nitrogen to the soil and thereby reduced the demand for nitrogen-fixing synthetic fertilizers.
He also advised the farmers against burning their crop residue after harvesting since that had not only contributed to adverse climatic conditions but also caused loss of soil nutrients and affected human health.
Dr. Asante encouraged recycling the crop residue into compost for farming to enhance soil nutrients and increase crop yield.
Mr Justin Bayor, the Head of Programmes, Campaigns, and Innovations at ActionAid Ghana, recommended that the government and banks should ensure financial inclusion and incentives such as grants and low-interest loans for farmers especially women to adopt agroecological practices.
Mr Bayor also recommended investing in research and development to advance agroecological techniques and develop infrastructure and policies to support local food markets and supply chains.
Mr Daniel Banuoku, the Deputy Director of the Centre for Indigenous Knowledge and Organisational Development (CIKOD), observed that agroecology provided farmers with a basket of solutions specific to agroecological zones to reduce the impact of climate change on their production.
He said adopting agroecological practices such as cover-cropping, composting, bonding, and tide-ridging, for instance, could reduce the impact of drought on farmers as a short-term adaptation strategy.
He also mentioned that Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration of Trees (FMNR) could also help in climate change adaptation in the long term.
GNA