Kofi Adu Domfeh writes: Is Ghana serious in facing climate change realities?

Close to one million Ghanaian farmers are at risk of losing their investments to a prolonged dry spell.

 

Already, half of these farmers have their livelihoods hanging in the balance. They planted their crops in vain because the rains failed them and they had no alternative means to moist their soils to reap good yields on their farms.

 

The Ghanaian government is already mobilising GH₵8 billion (US$500million) relief package to assist farmers in 8 of the country’s 16 regions grappling with the devastating effects of the ongoing dry spell.

 

But this is only the latest impact of the weather variation on farmers. In recent times, the country’s cocoa sector has been threatened by unfavourable weather conditions – high temperature and excessive rainfall.

 

The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) partly attributed the decline in the production of cocoa beans for the 2023/2024 crop season to the adverse effects of El Niño.

 

COCOBOD CEO, Joseph Boahen Aidoo, explained the climate phenomenon has significantly impacted cocoa supply globally, resulting in substantial losses to producers.

 

“We all know that we are not in normal times, the presence of El Niño has affected our production not just in Africa but Europe also,” he said.

 

Acknowledging the climate phenomenon is a good step. But scientists forewarned Ghana, long before getting here.

 

In 2011, climate scientists at the Colombia-based International Centre for Tropical Agriculture, CIAT, predicted that the expected increasing temperatures will lead to massive declines in cocoa production in Ghana and other cocoa-growing areas in West Africa by 2030.

 

Their report also revealed that an expected annual temperature rise of more than two degrees Celsius by 2050 will leave the cocoa-producing areas too hot for chocolate.

 

Warmer conditions mean the heat-sensitive cocoa trees will struggle to get enough water during the growing season, curtailing the development of cocoa pods, containing the prized cocoa bean.

The climate change realities are here

 

The World Bank Group’s 2022 Country Climate and Development Report posited that Ghana’s economic and human development is vulnerable to climate change and climate-related shocks.

 

Since 1960, Ghana’s average annual mean temperature has increased by around 1 degree Celsius. Rainfall has also become more erratic.

 

“Without prompt global and local climate actions, higher temperatures and heat stress will affect crop and labor productivity,” said the Bank.

 

Dr. Shalom Addo-Danso, a Senior Research Scientist with Ghana’s Forestry Research Institute, has observed the current changes in the weather pattern and other extreme events clearly show the realities of climate change and variability and its impact on the country.

 

“The available data and observations point to temperature increase in the last few years across all the agroecological zones and irregular but more intense rainfall,” he noted. “The irregular but intense rainfall is oftentimes accompanied by long dry spell durations. Even the average number of ‘hot’ days and nights have increased in recent times. These changes are posing serious risk to many sectors of the economy, especially the cocoa sector. The projections show that the duration of dry spells will likely increase, which may increase drought conditions.”

 

Ghana has ambitious climate change commitments under its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

 

International climate financing remains critical for Ghana to effectively implement its NDCs, but the government of Ghana must demonstrate commitment to mobilizing internal resources and making budgetary allocations to deal with the pressing climate events that threaten lives and livelihoods.

 

Time to get serious with adaptation mechanisms

 

The government of Ghana is worried about the food security implication of the current dry spell hitting farming. This has informed a ban of export of grains like maize, rice and sorghum to avert local shortages.

 

But farmer-based organisations have raised objections; the government’s decision to ban grain export will have dire income and livelihood consequences. Some of these farmers have contracts with foreign entities to plant grains, which will be impacted by the ban.

 

They rather would want to be in production than their productivity strangle.

These farmers, mainly smallholder and subsistent, are most vulnerable when they cannot access irrigation facilities.

 

The Concerned Farmers Association of Ghana, for instance, has questioned the government’s priorities, citing the abandoned Pwulugu Dam Project, which has already consumed $12million in investment.

 

“We need modern irrigation systems, not reliance on rain-fed agriculture which is outdated,” said the group.

 

Due to the new realities of the impacts of climate change, adaptation should become integral to the development agenda at all levels of society. But adaptation will depend on different sectors and their vulnerabilities and adaptive capacities.

 

Dr. Addo-Danso suggests three options for communities to build resilience:

 

First, there is the need to implement the country’s National Adaptation Plan Framework, which was developed in 2018. The Plan seeks to address climate change adaptation in a more holistic, integrated and coordinated manner. This is important because policies and strategies provide the framework within which actions could be implemented sustainably.

 

Secondly, given that local communities are more vulnerable to climate change, attention should focus on community-based adaptation strategies – measures that place local communities at the center by empowering them to reduce their vulnerabilities and build their resilience to climate shocks. These include building on local knowledge of weather conditions to raise awareness on climate change, building their capacities on poverty and disaster risks reduction strategies, and addressing gender disparities, which will help communities to plan and cope with the risks and impacts of climate change.

 

Thirdly, poor communities often depend on land-based activities and natural resources for their livelihoods and survival, so adopting ecosystem-based approaches is critical for climate change adaptation. These approaches harness the benefits of conservation, management and restoration of ecosystems such as forests, grasslands, wetlands and rivers; and using biodiversity and the services provided by ecosystems to reduce the vulnerabilities of communities and build their resilience to climate risks.

 

Reducing exposure of farmers to climate risks

 

The current impact of the dry spell on food security has been described as a symptom of a long neglect of erecting irrigation systems across the country.

 

While climate change cannot be solved by any single country, local actions can help manage physical and transition risks as well as bring large opportunities, says the World Bank.

 

To many farmers in Ghana, poor irrigation continues to be the bane of productivity, with no sustainable efforts by successive governments to deal with the situation.

 

Jacob Naja, one of the farmers worst affected by the dry spell at Akapuka in the Pru East District of the Bono Region, pleads for urgent measures to be adopted in ensuring all-year water supply for agriculture.

 

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture has noted that the establishment of 574 dams under the government’s ‘One Village, One Dam’ policy has been effective in holding rainwater for use by farmers.

 

However, the sector minister, Bryan Acheampong, has acknowledged the need for farmers to access irrigation facilities, which require pumping water from a big water source into a big canal or dam to hold the water.

 

What farmers expect is the demonstration of commitment to deliver this essential need, especially small irrigation systems, for all-year-round production.

 

As the most vulnerable to weather changes and climate variability, farmers would also need to diversify their livelihood investments and reduced their exposure to climate risk.

 

“One of the best options is for them to adopt climate-smart agriculture practices such as planting different crop varieties, and incorporating trees into their cropping systems including nitrogen-fixing species,” said Dr. Shalom.

 

“Farmers also need access to climate information; they should be able to plant drought-tolerant varieties, adopt rain harvesting techniques and mulching, as well as use treated manure and organic fertilizers. These practices ensure increases in farming system productivity and incomes, and at the same time help them to build resilience to climate change,” he noted.

 

Kofi Adu Domfeh is a journalist and a Climate Reality Leader. Email: adomfeh@gmail.com

Water supplies to dwindle in parts of the world by 2015

In 2050 there will be enough water to help produce the food needed to feed a global population expected to top nine billion, but overconsumption, degradation and the impact of climate change will reduce water supplies in many regions, especially developing countries.

The FAO and the World Water Council (WWC) have warned in a paper published today.

“Towards a water and food secure future” calls for government policies and investments by the public and private sectors to ensure that crops, livestock and fish are sustainably produced in ways also aimed at safeguarding water resources.

Such actions are essential in order to reduce poverty, increase incomes and ensure food security for many people living in rural and urban areas, the paper stresses.

“Food and water security are inextricably linked. We believe that by developing local approaches and making the right investments, world leaders can ensure that there will be sufficient water volume, quality and access to meet food security in 2050 and beyond,” said Benedito Braga, President of the World Water Council, on the occasion of the launching of the paper at the 7th World Water Forum in Daegu and Gyeongbuk, South Korea.

“The essence of the challenge is to adopt programs that involve investments in longer-term returns, such as the rehabilitation of infrastructure. Agriculture has to follow the path of sustainability and not the one of immediate profitability,” added Braga.

“In an era of accelerated changes unparalleled to any in our past, our ability to provide adequate, safe and nutritious food sustainably and equitably is more relevant than ever. Water, as an irreplaceable element of achieving this end, is already under pressure by increasing demands from other uses, exacerbated by weak governance, inadequate capacities, and underinvestment,” said FAO Deputy Director-General Natural Resources, Maria Helena Semedo.

“This is an opportune time to re-visit our public policies, investment frameworks, governance structures and institutions. We are entering the post-2015 development era and we should mark it with solid commitments,” she added.

Agriculture will still account for most water consumption

By 2050 some 60 percent more food – up to 100 percent in developing countries – will be needed to feed the world while agriculture will continue to be the largest user of water globally, accounting in many countries for around two-thirds or more of supplies drawn from rivers, lakes and aquifers.

Even with increasing urbanization, in 2050 much of the global population and most of the poor will continue to earn their living in agriculture. Yet the sector will see the volume of water available to it reduced due to a competing demand from cities and industry, the FAO/WWC paper notes.

As such, through technology and management practice, farmers, especially smallholders, will need to find ways to increase their output on the limited land and water available.

Currently, water scarcity affects more than 40 percent of people in the world, a proportion set to reach two-thirds by 2050.

This is largely due to overconsumption of water for food production and agriculture. For example in large areas of South and East Asia, in the Near East, North Africa and North and Central America, more groundwater is used than can be replenished naturally.

In some regions intensive agriculture, industrial development and growing cities are responsible for polluting water sources, the paper adds.

Policy changes and investments essential

Improvements aimed at helping farmers increase food output using increasingly limited water resources — including in the area of crop and livestock genetics – are widely needed. Empowering farmers to better manage risks associated with water scarcity will also be critical, according to FAO and the WWC. This will require a combination of public and private investment as well as supportive training.

To address degradation and waste, water institutions should be more transparent in their allocation and pricing mechanisms, the two organizations argue. Crucially, water rights need to be allocated in fair and inclusive ways.

In particular the paper highlights the need to guarantee security of land and water tenure and access to credit in ways that enhance the role of women, who in Africa and Asia are responsible for much of farming.

Addressing climate change

The effects of global warming including unusual rainfall and temperature patterns and more frequent extreme weather events, such as droughts and cyclones, will have an increasing impact on agriculture and water resources in particular, today’s paper warns.

Mountain areas provide up to 80 per cent of the world’s water resources, but the ongoing retreat of glaciers as a result of climate change threatens the existence of those supplies in the future.

Forests on the other hand use water but also provide it – at least one third of the world’s biggest cities draw a significant portion of their drinking water from forested areas.

This underscores the importance of stronger efforts to protect forests and upland areas where much of the world’s freshwater supply originates.

Today’s paper calls for policies and investments to enhance adaptation at the watershed and household levels, such as improved water storage facilities, wastewater capture and reuse, as well as research that generates more resilient agricultural production systems for smallholders.

The World Water Forum is the largest international event aimed at finding joint solutions to the planet’s main water challenges. In addition to jointly producing the White Paper with the World Water Council, FAO also teamed up with several partners and issued the 2030 Vision and Global Framework for Action, a set of policy guidelines and recommendations to improve groundwater management, during the forum.

Plant breeding rights in Ghana to enhance farming and seed industry

The passage of the Plant Breeders Rights Bill is in the interest of farmers and the seed industry as it is for scientists, according to advocates for the bill’s passage.

The Ghanaian scientific community is seeking to protect their intellectual property with the passage of the bill, which has been suspended by parliament after several concerns were raised against it by some concerned groups.

The Peasant Farmers Association, for instance, cites poor education and inadequate consultations as reasons for the passage of the bill to be postponed.

But the bill will inject more investments in plant breeding which will be in the interest of farmers and the seed industry, according to Dr. Stephen Amoah, a research scientist in breeding and molecular biology at the Crops Research Institute (CRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

“If the Plant Breeders Bill is passed, it’s going to increase competition; it’s going to invite the private sector investments into plant breeding. There is going to be more varieties developed and farmers are going to have options,” he observed. “In the long term, it will help the farmers; the seed industry is going to be enhanced in a way that there will be more funding.”

The bill will allow commercial end-users of research products to pay royalties to the scientists and their institutions.

Opponents however contend the bill in its current form does not represent the interest of the country and passing it into law could negatively affect agricultural productivity.

Dr. Amoah believes more education will dispel the concerns.

“When there is accurate information in the system, it will reduce these concerns and it will also reduce the opposition. But I’m very confident that in the end the bill would be passed,” he said.

 

The bill would be looked at when Parliament resumes in October.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh 

Ghanaian farming communities befriend value addition to cocoyam

Mercy Odwira has been farming cocoyam, cassava and plantain for over two decades at Kukuom, in the Asunafo South District of the Brong Ahafo region.

Cocoyam is the main source of food and income to sustain her family’s livelihood. Until three years ago, Mercy would harvest stumpy produce from a large cultivated crop land.

“Now we are enjoying economies of scale; we plant on a small acre of land but harvest larger quantities of produce. I have tripled my yield on a one acre farmland,” she stated.

Mercy is among Ghanaian farmers accessing new and improved varieties of cocoyam introduced by researchers at the Crops Research Institute (CRI) of the Council for Scientific an Industrial Research (CSIR).

Cocoyam is an important staple in Ghana with an annual consumption rate of 38kg per head.

To increase production, three improved varieties – yielding an average 6-8metric tonnes per hectare – have been introduced to local farmers under the World Bank sponsored West African Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP).

Cocoyam Breeder at the CRI, Emmanuel Lanor Omenyo, says the varieties are high-yielding, nutritious and disease tolerant – all varieties are tolerant to major cocoyam diseases such as Leap Blight and Root Rot.

“On the whole, we want to increase the production of cocoyam,” he said. “These materials [Gyimidi, Akyedee and Mayeyie varieties] have been accepted by the farmers, so we are very hopeful that the adaptation rate will be very high”.

Agric extension agent, Rita Konadu, is enthused at the adoption rate for the new cocoyam varieties. She says most farmers in the district are turning to cocoyam as an alternative to plantain, especially in the dry season.

The use of cocoyam in preparing dishes has been limited to few traditional uses like boiling and roasting for consumption.

The researchers are now disseminating technologies in cocoyam products to farmers and food processors in farming communities to enhance utilization.

The recipes introduced include the Cocoyam Fritters, Stuffed Cocoyam Leaves, Cocoyam Fish Cake and Roasted Stuffed Cocoyam.

Michael Akuamoah Boateng, a Food Scientist at the CRI, says broadening the utilization base of cocoyam is to afford the farmers access to markets for the produce, create employment and improve the nutritional base of farming communities.

Mercy is excited at the opportunity to add value to her cocoyam produce for preservation and nutrition.

“We have also been exposed to additives in processing cocoyam for a variety of dishes, especially to cater for the food needs of our children. Most importantly, I can earn income from selling the cocoyam recipes when I don’t go to the farm,” she shared.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh

Plant Breeders Right will give farmers choice over crop varieties, says scientist

Ghana’s research scientists are anxious to see parliament pass the Plant Breeders Right Bill before end of year.

The Bill, they argue, is a positive development which seeks to address the interests of plant breeders in the private and public sectors to promote agricultural productivity.

Advocacy group, Food Sovereignty Ghana, is however prevailing on the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs to object to the Bill in its current form.

The group is of the view that some clauses in the Bill are not coherent with other legislation and national interests such as the protection of environment, health, prevention of misappropriation of genetic resources.

But Dr. Hans Adu-Dapaah, Director of the Crops Research Institute (CRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), says the economic benefits of improved plant varieties are enormous.

“The Bill promotes the breeding of new varieties of plants aimed at improving the quantity, quality and cost of food, fuel, fibre and raw materials for industry,” he stated.

 

According to him, consumers will benefit economically as an increased productivity will lead to reduction in price of end-products and improved quality will lead to higher value products.

There are also health benefits in the form of improved nutritional content of food crops in the prevention of certain diseases as well as environmental benefits, such as developing varieties with abiotic stress resistance to mitigate the impact of climate change and variability.

Food Sovereignty Ghana also fears the Bill will compromise farmers’ rights whilst the rights of foreign corporate plant breeders are placed above national interest.

Dr. Adu-Dapaah however notes that “nobody will force any farmer to grow any variety; we’ll demonstrate the quality of the varieties to you to make your choice.”

He says scientists need to provide the best of varieties to the Ghanaian populace “and a farmer can even come up with a variety and have it protected.”

The Ghanaian scientific community has developed diverse genetic materials and technologies for adoption by farmers and other end-users.

The development of new crop varieties for specific needs of the country is vital for increased agricultural productivity.

However, the researchers are unhappy users of these varieties fail to recognise the investment and the efforts of the breeders and the need to pay the necessary royalties.

Dr. Stephen Amoah, research scientist in breeding and molecular biology, says researchers need to be protected against the physical multiplication of genetic plants without recourse to “the person who sat down to do the crosses, the biology and the genetics”.

The objective of the Plant Breeders Rights is to establish a legal framework to acknowledge the achievements of breeders of new varieties and to protect their intellectual property.

Most biological materials developed in Ghana presently do not fit appropriately under the existing intellectual property rights – including the Patents, Trade Marks, Designs and Copyright.

The PBR allows the breeder to choose to become the exclusive marketer of the variety, or to license the variety to others. This essentially will enable the plant breeders, for instance, to enter into arrangements with seed companies to earn income from research.

“It’s a way of motivating the scientists and creating competition among the institutions and also the scientists and that is one way of improving the quality of research”, stated Dr. Amoah.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh 

Ghana becomes first country to launch national yam strategy

Ghana has taken a major step ahead of other yam-producing nations with the launch of a strategy for the development of the yam industry from farm to market.

This follows the global conference on yams held in Accra and ongoing strategic development for the sector.

The national yam strategy puts yam in the spotlight as a key crop to help Ghana fight poverty, enhance food security, and improve the livelihoods and income of women and men engaged in the yam sector.

“The strategy envisions making Ghana the leading source of premium quality yam products with global penetration and contributing to an improved Ghanaian economy and livelihoods,” says the Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, Ahmed Yakubu Alhassan.

“One of the objectives of the strategy is to develop commercially-driven research and development as well as capacity building in yam value chain,” he added at the inauguration of the strategy in Accra.

The economic value of the yam industry in Ghana has grown quite rapidly in recent years, with its foreign exchange earnings shooting up to the third position among the non-traditional export commodities in the period 2010 to 2012.

Demand for yam in both fresh and processed forms is increasing in new markets abroad and domestically. The industry faces tremendous opportunities as well as challenges and requires support policies, private sector investment, and to become organized as a whole value chain.

The Ghana Yam Strategy is a bottom-up policy process that started in 2012. It is a private sector-led road map championed by the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture with the support of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection. 

The International Trade Centre (ITC) and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) provided technical support and process facilitation.

“Despite the contribution of yam, the crop has not been given the right attention. This is what this strategy aims to correct,” says Mr Anthony Sikpa, Chairman of the Ghana Yam Strategy Committee.

“With this strategy not only will yam be given attention, but it will also provide opportunities for all stakeholders in the yam sector,” he added.

IITA Director for Western Africa, Dr Robert Asiedu commended Ghana for taking the lead in developing a strategy for the tuber crop.

“We also encourage other countries to emulate Ghana, by developing similar strategies that give clear direction on how to make the crop work for the poor and improve their economies,” Dr Asiedu added.

Indigenous to Africa, yam is a major staple contributing to food security and incomes, and also plays a significant role in the culture of the people.

The Strategy has been designed and developed to provide a holistic approach to sector development by considering both the economic and social value of yam in Ghana.

“The methodology used combines IITA’s experience in agriculture research-and-development with ITC’s practice of participatory mechanisms and market-led planning for policy, enterprise, and sector development,” said Hernan Manson, ITC Adviser for Value Chain Development, and Antonio Lopez-Montes, IITA Yam Breeder.

“Country ownership and leadership have been ensured through a private-public platform in charge of building partnerships and articulating support for implementation,” they added.

The platform includes approximately 200 stakeholders from the private sector, representing all areas of the industry, and support institutions (Ghana Standards Authority, Ghana Export Promotion Authority, Export Development and Agriculture Investment Fund, and National Development Planning Commission), commercial and development banks, research centers (CSIR, etc.), academia, and key ministries such as Trade, Agriculture, Finance, and Women and Children.

The Yam Sector Strategy aims at creating business and industry development with social impact while ensuring food security.

It is based on five milestones: Increasing fresh yam exports; Developing a market for yam by-products and ingredients; Reinforcing domestic industry competitiveness; Promoting women-led yam business; Increasing income from yam and ensuring food security.

Global yam conference calls for more investments on yam research

Increasing funding for research and development on yam will help unleash the potential of the crop, improve livelihoods, create jobs and enhance food security in Africa.

According to researchers, policymakers, and representatives from the private sector at the first ever global yam conference in Accra, Ghana, recent investments in yam research are paying off, and demonstrating the crop’s greater potential than what is being realized.

“Sustaining and enhancing funding support for yam research and development backed by political will are needed to unlock the crop’s full potential,” said the Director General of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Dr Nteranya Sanginga.

He praised the government of Japan, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF/WECARD) for supporting IITA on yam research and called on researchers to develop a vision for the crop.

Known as the ‘king of crops’ because of its contribution to incomes and food security, yam also has high cultural value especially in traditional marriages in Africa. However, the crop is under-researched due to low funding and this has limited the potential of the crop for alleviating poverty.

“If we attract more investments to advance and expand yam research globally, the anticipated benefits and impacts will be quite enormous,” says the Ghana’s Minister for Food and Agriculture, Clement Kofi Humado.

Represented by the Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, Ahmed Yakubu Alhassan, the minister said that there was a need to “soberly rethink through research-and-development, and invest our limited resources judiciously to ensure best results.”

The Executive Director, Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), Dr Yemi Akinbamijo noted that in spite of the contribution to food security and incomes, African crops such as yam have not commanded the attention they deserved, and have as a result remained underutilized.

“Yams are unexploited in several aspects: actual yields are lower than potential, utilization is low for instance in animal feeds, and potential for diversification of yam products among others is unexploited,” he said.

Commending IITA for its contribution to yam research and development, Dr Akinbamijo said that the key to unlocking the potential of yam lies in science and technology and empowerment of the producers, marketers, and consumers to take advantage of what research offers.

According to him, “the challenge is to mobilize the investment required to conduct research and develop the yam value chain into a profitable enterprise for small and large-scale operators alike.”

The Global Conference on Yams provides a platform for stakeholders to explore recent innovations in yam improvement, share lessons learned, identify research and development needs, and develop global alliances.

Dr Robert Asiedu, IITA Director for Western Africa, and the Convener of the Conference said that the event provided a platform for consultation and development of a global strategy for improving the yam sector based on genetic enhancement; crop protection and mitigation of risks due to pests, diseases and climate change; conservation of genetic resources; prevention of postharvest losses; improved seed systems; crop diversification; and enhancing industrial potential of yam and improved market access.

 

The ultimate goals of the event are to establish a global alliance for yam improvement; gain more investments to advance and expand yam R4D agenda globally, and contribute to the strengthening of R&D capacity and human resource development for sustainable yam improvement.