By Stanley Senya
Accra, April 6, GNA – The Ghana Federation of Forest and Farm Producers (GhaFFaP) has organised a third National Dialogue on delivering sustainable climate resilience and green recovery to enable smallholder farmers produce adequate and healthy food crops.
The dialogue, which took place in Accra, brought together stakeholders from the banking sector, representatives from Ghana Cocobod, MMDAs, researchers and academic institutions, market actors and civil society organisations to discuss how smallholder producers can access financial aid, create market linkages, and have social protection.
It was organised by GhaFFaP in collaboration with its local partners, including the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), and the Forest and Farm Produce Organisation (FFPOs) drawn from three ecological zones, which includes the Savannah, Transition and Forest zones.
GhaFFAP said the dialogue aimed to create a platform for key stakeholders in the sector to explore actionable policy and strategies to allow smallholder farmers adopt an ecosystem-based adaptation approach and interventions.
Mr. Elvis Kuudaar, Ghana National Facilitator of Forest and Farm Facility at Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), addressing the participants, said farmers must be linked with national partners mainly to focus on policy engagement building, and for strong business and value chains resilience to be able to meet the GhaFFap agenda 2030.
“There must be a consolidation of ideas that would lead to an action plan to build strong synergies for partners supporting GhaFFap to establish its business incubation hub services to their member producers.”
He called on the government to support smallholder farmers to be able to build warehouses, provide transport services and skilled human resources to be able to meet the required quality standards.
He expressed the hope that the national dialogue was going to set a more detailed and closer partnership and collaboration with the various government agencies to move ahead and create climate resilient and Green Ghana.
“GhaFFaP will prioritise green production, including but not limited to the promotion of agroforestry practices, agroecology, woodlot establishment for wood fuel and charcoal production and above all ensure that production processes are environmentally friendly.
“Sustainable production will therefore be a central focus for GhaFFaP in a bid to ensuring that its activities support climate resilient landscapes.
“The Green Market (GGM) strategy is aiming to promote and develop environmental and socio-economically sustainable, equitable and fair forest and farm business value chains across the forest, transition, and savanna ecological zones in Ghana.
“This includes the establishment of national and zonal business incubation teams and local business development teams (BDTs) made up of FFPO representatives and staff.
“Within this structure, the women’s champions wing and network of women’s business coaches and mentors have a specific role to ensure these services equally reach and benefit female members.”
GhaFFaP strives to serve as a platform in advocating for inclusive and equitable forest and farm policies and laws in Ghana and to engage its members as agents of change in discussing solutions towards strong, sustainable and climate resilient forest and farm businesses that improve members standard of living.
GNA