The project is sustainable land management project which part of the Chiana-Paga ecosystem, about 10,000 haof degraded lands where climate is variable and unpredictable. Some years the rains fail and crops perish, but other years too much rain falls at the wrong time and this also prevents good yields from being realized. While the environment can be described as risky, the people have effectively managed to develop a viable agricultural base which supports a high density of population often above 200 people per square kilometre. This is one of the highest rural population densities in Ghana. This has given rise to a system of intensive cultivation based on the permanent cultivation of compound plots around houses, which led to serious land degradation thereby resulting in low agricultural yields.

The project therefore seeks to:

? build and sustain the capacities of rural farmers especially in the identification of innovative strategies, approaches and models in sustainable land management.

? introduce farmers to sustainable agricultural practices for the sustainable management and restoration of degraded lands through integrated water and soil management, community based forest woodlot/agro-forestry practices, wildfires management, natural regeneration establishment and enrichment planting.

? support sustainable livelihood enterprise development and market access as compensation for the provision of ecosystem goods and services through the processing of natural resources to enhance sustainable land management

Project Intended Results

- 100 indigenous farmers (60% women) from Chiana community trained and supported to identify innovative strategies, approaches and models to sustainably manage land whilst conserving the natural environment.

- 150 ha of degraded lands in the Chiana community placed under sustainable land management through stone bunding, agro forestry practices, enrichment planting and woodlot establishment

- 120 women farmers supported to invest in small business enterprise - small ruminant rearing, guinea fowls rearing and cultivation groundnut with processing and marketing initiatives in order to sustain their livelihoods

- 60 rural farmers introduced to sunflower cultivation and supported with processing and marketing initiatives in order to sustain their livelihoods.

DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT ACTIVITIES

- Form community sustainable land management committee to organize community fora in the project area. The project will form a seven member land restoration committee with membership drawn from each sections of the community. The women representation should be four and the remaining given to the men. The committee would be trained and empowered to organize periodic community fora to promote environmental awareness, change attitudes and behaviours of the people to address the environmental problems. At least one community fora will be organized in each section of the community by the project to introduce innovative strategies, approaches and models in sustainable land management to the people. Using the Assets Based Conservation strategies, the project will enable the communities to identify opportunities, plan and invest in sustainable land management. Resource persons will come from EPA, MOFA, FSD and GNFS.

- Organize natural resource management workshops for selected farmers. The project will organize practical hands-on-training for 100 farmers on natural resource management, agroforesty and sustainable land management. These farmers will serve as trainer of trainers for the other community members within the project area. These workshops will help the farmers acquire skills and knowledge on judicious use of natural resources for sustainability, proven technologies in sustainable land management and assets that can be processed for income generation. Resource persons will come from EPA, FSD and MOFA.

- Introduce improved soil fertility technologies to trained farmers. Four (4) hands-on-training will be organized for 100 farmers to acquire knowledge in improved soil fertility technologies and organic farming. Each farmer would be taught Soil/water management/ Integrated water management; assisted to invest in compost preparation and usage. Each farmer will establish at least 1 ha of farm using the new technology. Resource persons may come from SARI and MOFA.

- Embark on intensive wildfire prevention and management. All the project beneficiaries would be given training in wildfire management. At least five (5) persons would be trained from each section of the community as wildfire management coordinators. They will be trained in fire fighting and first aid techniques. After the training, they will be issued with identification cards and Wellington boots. The coordinators will also help the communities to formulate their own environmental rules and regulations to govern the environment. Resource persons will come from the GNFS and EPA.

Intended Result 2
150 ha of degraded lands in the Chiana community placed under sustainable land management through stone bunding, agroforestry practices, enrichment planting and woodlot establishment

Planned Activities

- Demarcate100 ha of degraded area and put it under natural regenerated and organize enrichment planting. A 100 ha of degraded lands along the hills overseeing Burkina Faso would be demarcated and put under natural regeneration. The project has already discussed the issue with the chiefs and people of the communities and land has been committed for the project. Seedlings will be purchased and supplied to the farmers to undertake enrichment planting in the reserve. Species to be planted will include neem, and cassia. The reserve will be protected from wildfires and encroachment. Resource persons will come from Survey Department, GNFS, and FSD.

- Support farmers to place 50 ha degraded farmlands under sustainable land management. The project will support the trained farmers to place at least 50 ha of the degraded lands under sustainable management. Each of the four sections of the community would be supplied with two trained donkeys plus ploughs and carts. The donkeys will assist the farmers to plough the land and construct ridges, bunds and other water conservation technologies. The project will draw resource persons from the MOFA and EPA.

- Support agroforestry farms of interested farmers. The project will encourage 50 interested farmers from the community to establish agro-forestry on their farm lands using nitrogen fixing plants including moringa to reduce pressure on the forest as well as improve soil fertility. Fruit trees like mango and cashew will also be encouraged to be planted by interested farmers. The activity will cover 5 hectares. Resource persons will come from MOFA, FSD, and SARI.

- Prepare participatory land use plans. All the communities involved in the project will be helped to draw a participatory land use plans for land use for the project. The land use plans will delineate agricultural, commercial, woodlots plantations, grazing lands as well as lands for natural regeneration. Resource persons will come from the NGO

- Train and support farmers groups with animal traction. 100 indigenous trained farmers (60% women) would be introduced to animal traction, soil fertility and improvement management, organic farming and agro forestry farming technologies with supply of donkeys with plough and carts. A family nominated by the groups will be made responsible for managing the animal traction on behalf of the group. They will keep a roaster for beneficiaries? usage of the facility. .

Intended Result 3

120 women farmers supported to invest in small business enterprise - small ruminant rearing, guinea fowls rearing and cultivation groundnut with processing and marketing initiatives in order to sustain their livelihoods

Planned Activities

- Put farmers into trust groups and animate them. The project will identify interested farmers and put them into trust groups based on the existing social capital in the communities. Each trust group would range from 15 to 20 members. Each trust group will have a chairperson, a secretary and a treasurer. Resource persons will come from the CfSD.

The trust groups would be animated on group dynamics, functioning and operations. A precondition for this activity would be that groups should have elected officers including chairperson, secretary and treasurer. The animation activity would also include group record keeping and regular meetings. Resource persons would come from the CfSD.

- Provide revolving credit scheme to farmers. A revolving groundnut seed credit will be provided 100 farmers. In the first year of the project, 80 interested farmers will be reached and each farmer will be given one bag of groundnut seed for planting. The division will be done basically on interest of every farmer. The recovered seed will be extended to other interested farmers so that many more farmers can benefit from the project. Resource persons will come from the MOFA and NBSSI.

- Acquire and install Automated Refined Vegetable Oil Production Plant(ARVOPP). The project will liaise with 99 China Investment Limited to purchase the Automated Refined Vegetable Oil Production Plant and ensure that the Plant is installed for the women farmers. The Plant will be installed in a location of the choice of the women. Resource persons will come from 99 China Investment Limited, MOFA and ITTU.

- Provide training to women farmers on operations of ARVOPP. At least 2 training workshops will be organized for the women farmers on the operations of the oil production plant. Two people will be selected by the women farmers and trained as operators of the machine. They will be given the basic skills and knowledge on the operations and repairs of the machine to enable them handle the machine with minimal support from ITTU and 99 China Investment Limited. Resource Persons will come from 99 China Investment Limited and ITTU.

- Provide training to women farmers on basic book-keeping. Since most of the women farmers are illiterates coupled with the fact that all the women lack business enterprise development, the project will organize 2 training workshops targeting at least 100 women farmers to upgrade their skills and knowledge of simple booking practices such as keeping data and making entries, calculating profits etc. The two operators will be taught the various records to be kept and how to keep those records properly. The project will get resource persons from the NBSSI

- Link women farmers to fair markets. The project together with the women farmers will do market analysis and market surveys to be able to identify fair and readily markets for the processed oil. One of such markets could be 99 China Investment Limited which promised a guaranteed market of 100% of vegetable oil produced from the machine for export.

- Train farmers to make compost manure from groundnut and sunflower residue. All the groundnut and sunflower farmers (100) would be taught to use the residue from the groundnuts and sunflower to make compost manure to enrich the already degraded land in order to increase crop yields. Farmers would be encouraged to make their individual compost manure to fertilize their soils. Resource persons would come from MOFA.

Intended Result 4

60 rural farmers introduced to sunflower cultivation and supported with processing and marketing initiatives in order to sustain their livelihoods

Planned Activities

- Identify and select interested rural farmers for sunflower cultivation. In all, 20 rural farmers who are interested to cultivate sunflower as an alternative livelihood activity would be identified and selected. The project will encourage farmers who already have land available to volunteer to be part of this activity. At least 10 farmers would be selected in each community so as to achieve equitable distribution of the activity across the communities. Resource persons would be brought from the MOFA to implement the activity.

- Organize training workshop for sunflower farmers. Two training workshops would be organized for sunflower farmers in order to impart knowledge of sunflower cultivation to the farmers. Farmers would be taught cultural practices of sunflower cultivation which would include pre-planting operations, planting operations and post-planting operations. Also, the training would include pest management and how to minimize post-harvest losses in sunflower production. Resource persons would come from MOFA.

- Support farmers with sunflower seed. The CfSD would acquire sunflower seed and distribute to the selected farmers for cultivation. Initially, 20 farmers from the two communities would be given the seed and it is expected that farmers would return the seed after harvest to enable the project to be scale-up to involve additional 40 farmers from the two communities. Resource persons would come from the CfSD and MOFA.

- Assist farmers to process and market sunflower products. Sunflower produced by the farmers would be processed by the ARVOPP and sell to the 99 China Investment Limited. Other marketing initiatives would be sourced purposely for marketing farmers? products. The project together with the farmers will do market analysis and market surveys to be able to identify fair and readily markets for the processed sunflower into sunflower oil.