Overview of the project

BIDG has started an intervention in Sekyere Afram Plains in Ghana. As do not belong to the traditional Ashanti tribe, settlers living there originating from northern Ghana have no legal rights to land. to develop sustainable agriculture practices. Increasing use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, maize monocultures and burn farming to convert woodland into agricultural land are deteriorating soil quality and threatening biodiversity. To break a vicious circle risking to push settlers to migration again, BIDG wants to offer small farmers in their settlement area a realistic perspective, by introducing sustainable Bamboo Agroforestry.

First, through information, training and knowledge transfer to make smallholder farmers aware of the ecological issues of their practices. Then you need specifications and a clear set of rules to follow in order to introduce a successful Bamboo Agroforestry, especially to maintain the motivation of the farmers until the first “bamboo clumps harvest” which occur only after 5 to 6 years. A groundwater well was drilled for the irrigation of a nursery, which contributes considerably to the improvement of the local infrastructures. The nursery also serves as a training centre and location for workshops for small farmers, including demonstration and teaching of intermediate planting. The model also addresses stringent questions as what are the suitable species of bamboo for the local conditions, suitable plants for cultivation between bamboo, uses of the harvest and how much maize cultivation remains.

Eventually the aim of the project is to work with the local settlers step by step to convert their agriculture to an integrated, resilient and sustainable Bamboo Agroforestry, adapted to the local climate and the existing topography and soil quality, and eventually scalable and later transferable to other communities and regions.