The main objective of this project is to promote climate smart agriculture within the landscape by integrating animal rearing with farming and planting trees on farms.
1.5 Specific Objectives
The specific objectives of the project are:
• To develop and sustain the capacities of women farmers in Sogrunu Kope and Akramaman to adopt innovative practices that will integrate indigenous and economic trees on farms, minimise wildfire incidence, and ensure sustainable land management utilizing agroecology strategies.

i. To support the women to invest in sustainable livelihood enterprise development through the introduction of apiculture and small ruminant rearing.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT OUTPUTS AND ACTIVITIES
2.1 Project Outcomes
The implementation of the project will produce two main outcomes:
1) Capacities of local women farmers developed in climate smart agriculture
2) Women farmers within Sogrunu Kope and Akramaman supported to integrate apiculture and small ruminant rearing in the crop farming.
Outcome 1: Capacities of local farmers developed in climate smart agriculture
The component activities will seek to develop institutional capacities of the Women Farmers Association in Ga West to sustainably manage land and conserve natural resources. The project will support the strengthening of existing traditional and local systems, structures and services to foster local development and management and to create an enabling environment for project success. Women Farmers would be trained in conservation agriculture, wildfire management and mixed farming using improved small ruminants. Each farm family will be encouraged to develop a pen for rearing animals and utilizing the animal droppings for compost preparation which will be used on their farms. The farmers will integrate fruit trees and woodlots as boundary trees.
Outcome 2: Women farmers within Sogrunu Kope and Akramaman supported to integrate apiculture and small ruminant rearing in the crop farming.
The project idea seeks to mobilize the women farmers to integrate apiculture in the cashew production. Each member of the association will be encouraged to develop an apiary with at least 10 bee hives each. The farmers would be trained in the harvesting, processing and bottling of honey for the local and urban market. Each farm family will invest in livestock development. In support of this, the project will establish micro-financing credit schemes as a window for raising capital for the livelihood investment.
2.2 Project Outputs:
The project intervention will produce three main outputs as follows:
Output 1:
- 40 women farm families empowered to practice climate-smart cashew production and mixed farming within Ga West farming landscape.
Output 2:
40 Women farmers within Sogrunu Kope and Akramaman supported to integrate apiculture and small ruminant rearing in the crop farming.
2.3 Description of Project Activities
- Output 1: Forty (40) women farm families empowered to practice climate-smart cashew production and mixed farming within Ga West farming landscape.
Planned Activities
1.1 Compile baseline information on the farm families and form project management team
The Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Department of Social Welfare will conducts needs assessment of the farm families and members of the cashew association. This information will enable the project to know the strength and weakness of the group and initiate the village saving schemes. The members of the Association would be trained in group formation, conflict resolution and village saving schemes. The project will form a nine member management team. This activity will take place as the first set of activities after the project initiations.
1.2 Initiate weekly farmer-field training schools on climate smart cashew production
The Ministry of Food and Agriculture extension staff will institute farmer field schools to train the cashew farmers on farm maintenance and how to integrate biodiversity in cashew production. A weekly environmental education programme on conservation agriculture would be instituted. Resource persons will be drawn from the District Ministry of Food and Agriculture and Department of Social Welfare. This activity will be carried out during the project life.
1.3 Support the women farm families to undertake mixed farming
The project will empower the farm families to acquire small ruminant and integrate them in the cashew plantation With support from MoFA extension officers, DIF, and Ghana National Fire Service personnel at the district, the farmers will train the farmers in fire management, and will assist them to plan, coordinate and execute community-based land management and natural resource management programmes.
1.4 Organize community fora in the project area.
The Women Farmers Association will promote environmental awareness programmes to develop awareness, change attitudes and behaviours of the people to be able to contain environmental problems. The fora will learn and introduce innovative strategies in sustainable land management. Using the Assets Based Conservation strategies the project will enable the communities to identify opportunities, plan and invest in sustainable land management.
1.5 Introduce improved soil fertility technologies to trained farmers.
The MOFA staff will organise series of hands–on training sessions for 20 women farm families to help them acquire knowledge in improved soil fertility technologies and adoption of organic farming practices. These farmers after the training will serve as trainers to train the rest of the community members on sustainable land management practices.
1.6 Embark on intensive wildfire prevention and management.
Twenty (20) women from the community would be trained and equipped as wildfire management volunteers’ squads to serve as watchdog committees to ensure responsible environmental behaviour. 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 squad will also help the community to formulate their own environmental rules and regulations to govern the environment.
Output 2: Forty (40) Women farmers within Sogrunu Kope and Akramaman supported to integrate apiculture and small ruminant rearing in the crop farming
Planned Activities
2.1 Identify, negotiate with apiculture trainers.
The project will seek the services of an experienced Apiculturist to train the farmers in the rudiments of beekeeping.
2.2 Organise training to interest members in bee keeping
The project will register interest farmers and train them in bee-keeping. Each interest farm family would be trained to set up an apiary with no less than 10 hives within the cashew plantation
2.3 Produce and distribute bee hives to farm families
The project will manufacture and distribute bee hives to the farmers under agreement.
2.4 Train the farmers in honey processing, bottling and marketing
The project will train the farmers who have invested in apiculture in honey harvesting, processing, bottling and marketing.
2.5 Set up revolving credit scheme for farmers on alternative livelihood support through the village saving and credit schemes.
The project will establish a village saving scheme to raise funds for the revolving credit to farmers to support their livelihood activities. Four groups will be formed with 25 to 30 members each in the two communities