Publications

Physical feasibility of domestic biogas in the upper East region of Ghana (2008).

This study examines the physical feasibility of setting-up a National Domestic Biogas Programme (NDBP) in the upper east region of Ghana, and settles various concerns with regards to the precise physical feasibility of the region.

Study findings indicated 42% of the houses have 10-19 people living in them and 63% of the houses keep cattle. In all communalities, cattle are invariably kraaled overnight, which made cattle dung available near the house. Cattle population and management trends indicated keeping fewer cattle, but in the same time by many more households. The trend in farm intensification showed that farming was gradually becoming
intensive as the population increased respectively. Further, chemical fertiliser was still used in minimum quantities. The domestic energy situation showed that most of the communalities were not connected to the electricity grid and their household energy came from crop residue, firewood, charcoal and dung respectively.

The study concluded that the physical potential in the upper east region of Ghana, based on cattle population, dung and water availability, amounts to 28,000 biogas installations, a very significant number for a single region. Further positive trends making biogas an attractive investment included cattle
management, farm dynamics and firewood scarcity (all trends are thoroughly discussed in the report). Future steps requiring action comprise economic and financial analyses, as well as a pilot programme outline for biogas plant construction. All recommendations and their rationale are thoroughly presented in the report.

The Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) commenced in 2005 with the intermediate objective of reducing hunger and malnutrition; increasing school enrollment, retention and attendance and to boost local food production. The GSFP is an initiative under the comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Pillar 3 seeks to enhance food security and reduce hunger in line with the UN-Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The collaboration between ECASARD/SNV as a local capacity builder necessitated this survey to identify ways of linking the farmers through FBOs to the GSFP as a means of achieving the third objective of the programme i.e.to boost local food production. The objective of the study to establish the level of FBOs /farmers’ engagement in boosting local food production through the GSFP in the Greater Accra Region; this is in accordance with the third objectives of the programme. The study was examined under the following headings; Effectiveness of FBOs in the study area, Farmers’ willingness to market their farm produce to the GSFP, Commonly cultivated crops in the study area and the quantities that farmers are willing to supply to the GSFP and benefit of the GSFP to the farmers.

The findings show that; about 66% of the FBOs are registered, and 81% of them meet at least once every month. This shows that they are effective and efficient. The main purpose of cultivation by the farmers was income oriented. 21% of the farmers have benefited from the GSFP nevertheless, the only source of benefit was the fact that their children are fed. Further studies that would capture all the actors in the implementation of the GSFP is required. Their views should be collated and used to review the implementation of the programme so far to ensure participation and benefits for all stakeholders.

SNV West and Central Africa is presenting through the 2011 case study anthology, a selection of its regional interventions. The different cases present the various contexts in which we operate, our approaches and their sustainability, who we work with and our results.

This document sought to analyse our work in the view of getting out the lessons learned from our experiences with regards to what has work and what has not. Besides, the anthology is a tool for knowledge sharing and learning for other organisations or individuals who may wish to scale up the work initiated. 

Wild collection of Allanblackia (AB) has not yielded the required volumes to meet market demands over the years and does not provide a dependable supply base needed to operate a viable supply chain for AB seeds. Establishing a sustainable supply chain for AB seeds thus holds potential to provide economic and social benefits for poor people and communities. This study was commissioned by SNV Ghana and Novel to determine the socio-economic feasibility of AB cultivation by local people. Data collected indicate that farmers are generally willing to domesticate AB and are ready to pay for one or more services associated with its cultivation if safeguards such as guaranteed markets for seeds are made to secure anticipated investments. The study reveals that current wild collection of AB is mainly a female based activity, the compelling reason for involvement being the need for supplementary income for basic household needs. It was noted that men, especially farm labourers and those involved in cocoa and oil palm farming, consider the opportunity costs of collecting AB too high. It was also observed that, though AB domestication is well intentioned, issues on rights and ownership of land has the potential to exclude vulnerable groups especially women and migrant farmers.

It can be concluded from the study that AB in the immediate and short term is not expected to be cultivated as a mono crop. There are still knowledge gaps, on the expected yields, market value of the crop etc. However, it has potential as a combination crop that can be included on already established farms or degraded lands.