By Anthony Adongo Apubeo
Bolgatanga, Jan 5, GNA – A climate change intervention project aimed at mitigating adverse impacts of climate change and ensuring sustainable agriculture has been launched in the Upper East Region.
The project, dubbed: “The Forest and Farmer Facility Phase II Climate Resilience Landscapes and Improved Livelihoods,” is being implemented by the Maaltaaba Peasant Women Farmers’ Cooperative (MAPEWFAC), a Non-Governmental Organisation.
It is being implemented with grant from the Forest and Farm Facility (FFF), Food and Agriculture Organisation and its partners; International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), AgriCord, and the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED).
The intervention will be implemented in the Talensi and Nabdam districts of the region, targeting women groups, particularly vulnerable ones such as widows, single mothers and persons with disability.
Ms Mollydeam Zong Buntuya, the Board Chairperson of MAPEWFAC, explained that among the goals of the project was to ensure sustainable agribusiness along the shea, soya, pig, goat, vegetables, and fish value chains for the women groups to improve livelihoods.
Its activities would be linked to the Ghana Federation of Forest and Farm Producers (GhaFFaP) Green Market strategy and advocacy as well as promote access to finance and benefits from available social protection opportunities.
Ms Lydia Miyella, the Executive Director, MAPEWFAC, explained that as part of the implementation, the project would provide water for all-year-round farming for women farmers as well as access to finance and markets.
“It will also ensure 100 per cent women inclusive business services to forest and farm producers for livelihoods improvement and climate resilient landscapes, promote green year-round production for multiple value chains in the shea, soya, vegetable, piggery, goats and fish industries, aggregation of products, and market linkages for profitable high market share for women”, she said.
Recounting some of the successes chalked under the Forest and Farmer Facility Phase I, from February to September 2022, Ms Miyella mentioned drilling of one high-yielding mechanised borehole, and training of 100 members on compost preparation to ensure organic vegetable production and environmental sustainability.
She also cited the cultivation of 5,000 assorted seedlings on half acre land as woodlot and distributed to 125 members for planting on individual lands among others.
Mr Vincent Subbey, a Development Consultant, who facilitated the inception meeting, noted that unlike the southern parts of the country, which had two rainy seasons in a year, the Upper
East Region and the other northern zones had only one rainy season, leading to seasonal hunger cycles, food insecurity and poor diet.
He expressed the optimism that the project would help address the spate of climate change and urged the beneficiary communities to embrace it.
GNA