The Problem Statement

The area was a rich riverine forest with high density of trees. It used to harbor most of the wildlife in the area. In recent times the land is degrading at a speedy rate due unsustainable land management practices, wildfires and uncontrolled harvesting of trees for firewood and charcoal production. Farming practice continues to rely because there is no viable alternative livelihood activity where people would engage themselves. Again, indiscriminate bush burning has become rampant in the traditional area where people burn the bushes with impunity and these actions affect the soil negatively and increase soil erosion which reduces our farm outputs. The animals also over grazed the lands because we do not have any other grazing fields. Overgrazing does not allow soils to regenerate and regain its loss nutrients to increase crop production but results in decreases in annual crop yields.

Ultimately, there is high level of food insecurity among the people resulting in malnourished children, high levels of hunger among people who could not afford three square meals a day, many people leaving the community to seek for non-existing jobs down south, encouraging early marriages especially among our young girls to collect dowry for the upkeep of households and above all, our ladies engage in prostitution to enable them live a day at a time.

2.3 Objectives of the project

The development objective of the project is to contribute to sustainable land management in the Bimbila Traditional Area through capacity building of farmers on innovative strategies for sustainable land management, introducing farmers to sustainable agriculture practices, and promote and support sustainable livelihoods.

The specific objectives of the project are as follows:

? To promote sustainable agricultural practices among farmers in the Bimbila Traditional Area to enable them restore the degraded lands through integrated water and soil management, participatory landuse planning, community based forest woodlot/agro-forestry, wildfires management, natural regeneration establishment and enrichment planting;

? To support sustainable small ruminant rearing, guinea fowl keeping and groundnut cultivation as a livelihood supplement and supporting farmers to access fair and ready markets for their produce in order to increase their incomes;

? To build and sustain capacities of farmers to enable them identify innovative strategies, approaches and models in linking trade and livelihoods to sustainable land management.

Project Outputs and Planned Activities

Project Output 1:

100 ha of degraded lands in the Bimbila Traditional Area demarcated and put under sustainable land management through contour ploughing, stone bonding, natural regeneration and enrichment planting, woodlot plantation


Planned Activities:

Prepare participatory land-use plans

The Bimbila Traditional Area would be assisted to prepare land-use plans using participatory tools such as resource mapping, community mapping, transect diagram and group discussions. The focus of the land-use plans would delineate clearly agricultural lands from grazing lands, woodlot plantations, settlement lands and lands for natural regeneration. The Bimbila Agroforestry Group would provide resource persons for the implementation of this activity.

Demarcate 100 ha of degraded area and place it under natural regeneration and enrichment planting

The project has already organized community meeting where discussions were held between the chiefs and people about this activity. The chiefs and people indicated their willingness and commitment to the implementation of the activity to rejuvenate the already degraded lands. About 100 ha of degraded lands along the sides of the hills would be demarcated and place under natural regeneration. Natural trees species like mahogany would be nursed and distributed to the farmers to be planted along the hills. The communities have agreed to protect the demarcated area from annual wildfires and encroachment by farmers for farming activities. The activity would be implemented with technical assistance from the Forestry Service Department, and Ghana National Fire Service.

Establish Agro forestry on farms of indigenous farmers

In order to protect the surface soil from annual gully erosion, the project will support the indigenous farmers from the Bimbila Traditional Area to establish 10ha agro forestry on their farms using moringa, lucena and other nitrogen fixing plants. The idea is to protect soils erosion and provide economic value to the farmers as well and so the moringa and maCBO plants would be encouraged for the activity. The moringa plants would reduce malnutrition among children and increase incomes among farmers. Resource persons would come from MOFA, FSD and BCAG.

Provide support to farmers to undertake soil and water management practices.

The project would provide technical support to farmers to use stones to make bonding, trenches, and burrow on their farms to conserve water and reduce erosion on their farms. Because of the undulating nature of the land, this activity is necessary to reduce the impact of run-offs. The project would place 30 ha of degraded lands in the Traditional Area under stone bonding. The MOFA and the BCAG would provide resource persons to implement this activity.

Assist farmer to do contour ploughing

Under this activity, the project would assist farmers to identify contours on 20ha of degraded farmlands and taught to plough across those contours in order to conserve water and reduce gully erosion on their farms. Resource persons would come from the MOFA to implement the activity.

Establish multipurpose woodlot plantations

This activity is necessary to reduce the pressure on the remaining natural forest on the mountains. The project would demarcate a 5ha of the degraded lands and place it under multipurpose woodlot plantations where households would harvest fuel wood and allow the natural mountain forest to rejuvenate. The activity would be implemented with technical support by the FSD.

Establish community nursery

A community nursery of 100,000-seedling capacity will be established under the project by the community groups to supply seedlings to all communities involved in the project. A group of 5 people (2 men and 3 women) would be trained as nursery managers to look after the nursery. The nursery will generate additional income for the project from the sale of fruit seedlings. The project will assist local level entrepreneurs with training, materials, simple tools and equipment to operate their own nurseries to produce the needed planting material. The project would support the introduction of improved planting materials. The activity will be done with resource persons from EPA, MOFA and FSD.

Project Output 2:

500 farmers from the Bimbila Traditional Area received training and support to identify innovative strategies, approaches and models to link trade and livelihoods to sustainably manage land.

Planned Activities:

Facilitate the formation of sustainable land management committee

To ensure a successful implementation of the project and a total ownership of the project by the people of the Traditional Area, a seven member land management committee would be formed. 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 environmental problems. 60% of membership of the committee would be women while the remaining 40% of membership represents men. The committee would organize at least one community fora in each of the sections of the Traditional Area to introduce innovative strategies, approaches and models in sustainable land management to the people. Resources persons would come from EPA and FSD

Train farmers in the cultivation of tradable savannah agricultural products

The project would organize practical hands-on-training workshops for 100 indigenous farmers on natural resource management, agro forestry and cultivation of sesame seeds, sorghum, millets, groundnuts and other tradable products under drip irrigation. The project will acquire a pumping machine to pump water from the White Volta River. MOFA, ITTU and NBSSI would provide resource persons to support the implementation of this activity.

Organize hands on training for farmers on soil fertility improvement, stone bonding, and contour ploughing technologies

The project would organize a number of hands-on-training for the 50 farmers selected to improve their knowledge and skills in improved soil fertility technologies and organic farming practices. Each farmer would be taught integrated soil management practices such compost preparations and usage. Each farmer would be encouraged to establish at least 1ha of farm and applying the technology for improved crop yield. The project will draw resource persons from the MOFA to implement the activity.

Organize training for farmers on intensive wildfire prevention and management

A Fifty member wildfire management volunteers? squad will be formed and trained to serve as watchdog committee to ensure responsible environmental behaviour. At least twenty-five will be trained in each section of the Traditional Area. 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 squads will also help the Traditional Area to formulate their own environmental rules and regulations to govern the environment. Resource persons will come from the GNFS and EPA.

Identify, select and train 20 women as artisans in the construction of improved stoves

The project would identify and select 20 women who have the potential to be trainers. The women would be selected across the Traditional Area in consultation with the Traditional Leaders in the various sections of the Traditional Area. Resource persons would come from the ITTU. A two hands-on-training workshop would be organized for the 20 women. These trainings would help the women to acquire skills and knowledge in the construction and usage of the improved wood fuel cooking stove. The training would also include maintenance of the cooking stoves so that generation yet unborn would benefit from the technology. Resource persons would be identified to assist in the implementation of this activity.

Project Output 3:
50 indigenous farmers supported to invest in small business enterprises small ruminant rearing, oil processing and markets access to sustain the businesses.

Planned Activities:

Form farmer trust groups and animate

The project would identify select indigenous farmers and put them into farmer trust groups based on the existing social capital within the Traditional Area. Each farmer trust group would range from 8 to 10 members. Every farmer trust group will have a chairperson, a secretary and a treasurer.

Provide revolving groundnut seed scheme to farmers

A revolving groundnut seed credit will be provided to 70 farmers to plant. In the first year of the project, 60 interested farmers will be reached and each farmer will be given one bag of groundnut seed for planting. The beneficiaries are expected to repay a bag and a half to enable the project extends assistance to other farmers next on the line. Resource persons will come from the MOFA.

Support farmers to small ruminants

In a discussion with the people of the Traditional Area leading to the design of this project indicates that most of the people are interested in rearing pigs. Some of the reason they gave were that pigs multiply very fast, grow fast and increase their incomes quickly. The project would therefore support 70 indigenous farmers to rear pigs. Farmers will be assisted to construct simple pig styles and fast growing, disease resistant breed would be given to each farmer to rear. Beneficiaries would repay the package to enable the project extend assistance to other farmers on line.

Train farmers on simple book-keeping

Since most of the farmers are illiterates coupled with the fact that all they lack business enterprise development skills, the project will organize 2 hands-on-training workshops targeting at least 140 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

Support and train farmers groups with animal traction

100 indigenous trained farmers would be introduced to animal traction, soil fertility and improvement management, organic farming and agro forestry farming technologies with supply of donkeys with ploughs and carts. Out of 100, 60% would be female beneficiaries. A family nominated by the groups would be made responsible for managing the traction on behalf of the group. A roaster on the usage of the traction would be kept by every group to ensure fairness in the usage of the facility. MOFA and the CBO will implement the activity.

Link farmer trust groups to fair and ready markets

The project would assist farmers to source for better markets for their produce. Market surveys would be conducted and fair market options identified to provide ready market to farmers produce that would increase their incomes to sustain their livelihoods. Such markets should be easily accessible to the farmers. Resource persons would come from the NBSSI