Post on 09-Apr-2018
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Promoting Sustainable Urban
Agriculture in Accra, Ghana
2010
Case Study: Plant Pooland Roman Ridge
Accra, Ghana
A ReportFor
International Water
Management Institute (IWMI)
ByKhalifa Al-Khalifa, Shahar Brinenberg, Xinyang Chi, Efetobore
Egborge, Tim Jeffery, Aurelia Nwogu, Victoria Solomon, Jinqiao
Song, and Yang Tao
Development Planning Unit, UCL
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AcknowledgementsWe have been extremely privileged to work with and learn from the
individuals who took time to meet with us while we were in Accra. Their
willingness to explain the complex situation of agriculture, politics, and
development in Accra enabled us to produce this report.
We are particularly indebted to IWMI, who served as our host during the
time we were in Accra, Sowah Ababio Delvine, our facilitator, who gave
us invaluable guidance throughout our time in the field, and the faculty
and staff at DPU. A listing of the organizations with which we met can be
found in the Appendix.
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Table of Contents
Acknowledgement----------------------------------------------------2Abbreviations----------------------------------------------------------4How to use this Report------------------------------------------------5Research Objectives--------------------------------------------------5Executive Summary---------------------------------------------------6Introduction to the Two Sites----------------------------------------7Theoretical Framework ----------------------------------------------9Methodology----------------------------------------------------------14Limitations-------------------------------------------------------------16Initial Diagnosis and Hypotheses---------------------------------17Focus on Land: Key Findings and Strategy---------------------24Focus on Market: Key Findings and Strategy------------------31Conclusion ------------------------------------------------------------40References-------------------------------------------------------------42
Appendix--------------------------------------------------------------43
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Abbreviations
AMA
Accra Metropolitan Area
AWGUPA
Accra Working Group on
Urban and Peri-Urban
Agriculture
EPA
Environmental Protection
Agency
FStT
From Seed to Table
GRA
Ghana Railway Authority
GRIDCO
Ghana Grid Company
Limited
HCF
Healthy Communities
Framework
IWMI
International Water
Management Institute
MoFA
Ministry of Food and
Agriculture
SLF
Sustainable Livelihood
Framework
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How to Use this Report
This report is the result of a five month research project conducted by
students in the MSc Environment and Sustainable Development (ESD)
program at the Development Planning Unit (DPU) in the University
College London (UCL). It was designed to compliment a research
project conducted by students in DPUs 2009 ESD course. It is
recognized that there are multiple areas that require further study,
and it is expected that the 2011 ESD course will build off the work that
has been completed.
Research Objectives
The purpose of this study was to examine UA in Accra with specific
reference to two sites, Roman Ridge and Plant Pool. This included:
Developing an understanding of UA in these sites, includingthe context in which it occurs and the opportunities and
challenges it faces.
Identifying key stakeholders, as well as their perceptions,motivations, and relationships with one another.
Creating and testing strategic interventions andrecommendations to advance UA in Roman Ridge and Plant
Pool, as well as in Accra as a whole, with an aim towards
identifying ways in which UA practices can become more
sustainable.
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Executive
Summary
This study has focused on the potentials of
urban agriculture in Accra to become more
sustainable, as well as its role within the
metabolism of the city. Our work takes an
integrated approach to examining urban
agriculture, while building off previous
research projects.
To delve deeper into the issues examined
here, particularly security of land tenure andmarketing, the situations on two sites were
compared Roman Ridge and Plant Pool, both
located within the Accra Metropolitan Area on
parcels of institutional and marginalized land.
These sites provide an opportunity to analyze
how agriculture operates under different
situations, as well as the potentials sustainable
urban agriculture has to positively influence
the sustainability of the city system as a
whole.
We developed strategies designed to pushcurrent agricultural practices to be more
sustainable. One of the strategies is a formal
process to obtain recognition to farm on the
site, while the other focuses on increasing
farmer capacity to influence the marketing of
produce. In doing so, we critique an ongoing
initiative taking place on both sites, the From
Seed to Table project, which aims to enable
farmers to increase their production and thus
their profit.
This report also highlights the importance of
collective action and collaboration amongst
stakeholders. Unity amongst farmers, along
with active support from other actors involved
with urban agriculture in Accra will allow the
city to much more effectively address the
obstacles Accra is faces both now and in the
future.
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Introduction
to the Sites
UA in AMA is facingmultiple challenges as
pressure to develop the city
increase. For UA to be
taken into consideration in
planning initiatives, its role
as a potential tool to move
AMA towards sustainability
must be critically examined.
Thus, this study focuses on
the experience of UA in
Plant Pool and Roman
Ridge, two sites near the
center of AMA. These sites
were established in the
1960s and 1970s and have
been a source of livelihoods
for generations of farmers.
They provide invaluable
information to the often
unrecognized role that UA
has within the city system.
By exploring the differences
and similarities on these
sites, we have learned not
only about the challenges
and opportunities of UA in
AMA, but also about the
more general potentials of
using institutional and
marginalized land for food
production. These
potentials have implications
not only in AMA, but also for
communities, politicians,
planners, farmers, and
academics as they operate
within urban systems.
Accra Metropolitan Area(AMA)
Roman Ridge
Dzorwulu
Plant Pool
Figure 1. Roman Ridge and Plant Pool are some of the few places
where agriculture is practiced within the urban area, changing the
urban landscape. Not only do these sites increase the biodiversity
of the city, but they also promote multiple uses of land. Roman
Ridge is located on a floodplain, while Plant Pool is located under
high-tension power lines.
Figure 2. The two sites are separated by Dzorwulu, a larger parcel
of land whose agricultural activities have been studied more and
better documented.
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Plant
Pool
Farming Practices
Farming takes place under high-tension power lines, and farmers
cultivate exotic vegetables such
as green peppers, cucumbers,
Chinese cabbage, lettuce,
radish, and spring onions. Both
piped water and wastewater are
used for irrigation.
Marketing
Selling is dominated by market
women.
Number of Farmers
30 men.
Site Area
2 hectares. The amount of land
cultivated has not changed over
time.
Land Owner
GRIDCO
Farming Practices
Farming takes place near high-
tension power lines, and
farmers cultivate exotic
vegetables such as cauliflower,Chinese cabbages, carrots,
lettuce, cucumbers, and spring
onions. Farmers are dependent
on the adjacent river for
irrigation.
Marketing
Selling is dominated by market
women.
Number of Farmers
43 men.
Site Area
2.5 hectares. The area of the
site has decreased due to
construction on the site.
Land Owner
The Land Commission and the
Ghana Railway Authority, both
of which lease the land from the
Osu traditional authority.
RomanRidge
Shifting
Focus
In the pre-field visit stage,
we focused on UA in
Dzorwulu. However, once
we arrived in Accra we were
presented with the
opportunity to study both the
Plant Pool and Roman Ridge
sites. Both sites are less
studied than the better-known Dzorwulu site and, as
discussed above, though the
three sites are
geographically very close to
each other, their situations
are different. We realized
that the ability to conduct a
comparative study could
reveal issues that mayotherwise be less obvious,
and so we switched our focus
from Dzorwulu to both Plant
Pool and Roman Ridge. The
comparative nature of the
study was particularly useful
when examining issues of
security of land tenure and
piped water, topics whichare discussed further in this
report.
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Theoretical
Framework:
Sustainable
UrbanSocieties
Potentials of Sustainable Urban Agriculture
Sustainable Urban Societies
Pursuing Sustainable Urban Societies
Criteria
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!
This research aimed to promote sustainable urban agriculture for local
societies. However, it is important to justify the necessity of SUA in
order to provide a strong base for the research project as a whole. SUA
has the ability to positively contribute, on multiple levels and in a
variety of ways, to solving problems cities tackle, such as some of the
issues depicted below in Figure 3.
To examine the role of SUA both for individuals and for communities,
we developed a dynamic network, inspired by research on healthycommunities1, to explore linkages between UA and the other elements
of social development.
Figure 3. Linkages between the different components of SUS. We
found that there are complicated interactions amongst theseelements. For example, as SUA requires effective and efficient
governance and equal opportunities for vulnerable social groups to
have their voices heard, it has an interactive relationship with vibrant
civil society and accountable government.
Potentials of Sustainable Urban Agriculture
Sustainable Urban
Agriculture Defined
Sustainable urban
agriculture involves the
production of food to
address local needs. It
incorporates a sustainablecombination of natural,
economic, physical,
institutional and socio-
cultural resources.
Sustainable urban
agriculture helps meet basic
human needs,improves
livelihoods, and moves the
community and city
towards a more sustainable
urban society.
1. Patel Center for Global Solutions, 2010; Seattle Foundation, 2009)
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phycial
natural
economicinstitutional
socio-cultural
+Sustainable Urban Societies
Sustainable Urban Society Defined
A sustainable urban society is one that enables and encourages all members of a society, including
present and future generations to attain and maintain a high quality of life. This includes but is not
limited to, the fulfilment ofbasic needs, inclusive access to a clean, responsibly managed
environment and equitable livelihood opportunities.
As the definition
indicates, SUA has the
potential to enhance
the sustainability of
urban society. To
demonstrate this
potential, we combined
SLF with HCF, to look at
sustainable
development on abroader level, and
produced a new
framework for
sustainable urban
society (SUS) which
identifies natural,
physical, economic,
socio-cultural and
institutional dimensions
of resource as the
elements of SUS.
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As SUA incorporates a sustainable combination of natural, economic, physical, institutional and socio-
cultural resources, it adds to the five resources of SUS. Therefore, we believe that as the current UA is
pushed towards SUA, not only is SUA promoted, but the ultimate goal of sustainable development a
sustainable society -- is advanced.
Nevertheless, encouraging UA development towards more sustainable alternatives requires a
systematic transition. As the SLF illustrates, taking livelihood strategies to better resource accumulation
is dependent on the enabling environment, which are the institutions, policies, culture, and legislation,
promoting SUA as a sustainable development strategy. This also depends on the transformation of
structures and processes in social, political and cultural dimensions.
Pursuing Sustainable Urban Societies
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In this research, we had a close cooperation with the relevant institutions and government agencies
to have better understanding of the enabling environment and develop more practical sustainabledevelopment strategies for UA. Moreover, to develop potentially effective strategies, it is importantfor us to identify the gaps between the current UA situation and SUA and the effectiveness of eachstrategy in narrowing these gaps. The following criteria table was developed:
In the research, we analysed the data against this table to find the entry points for further UAdevelopment. The possible impact of the two strategies we have developed have also been analyzedusing this table to examine the potential improvement they can bring to UA and, ultimately, SUS.
Criteria
Table 1. Sustainable Urban Agriculture Criteria
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Methodology
!Methodology
Limitations
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Methodology
Stakeholder Analysis
Hypotheses Criteria
StrategyDevelopment
Transect Walks
Individual Interviews
Focus Groups
DataAnalysis
Transect Walks
3 transect walks on Roman Ridge,
Dzorwulu and Plant Pool to have a
better understanding of the
relationships between these three
sites.
Focus Groups
3 focus groups with farmers, as follows:
1 at Plant Pool 2 at Roman Ridge
Individual Interviews
33 interviews with farmers of both sites
(including farmer associationchairmen, secretaries, etc.).
We also met with a number ofrepresentatives from organizations and
governmental agencies, as describedin Appendix 6
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Limitations
Although we dedicated
approximately 5 months to
this project, our work is
limited by a number of
factors. For example,
neither site has been well
documented, and most
available data is relatively
old. Moreover, we initially
developed the project using
a sectoral approach that did
not prove to be as useful as
hoped. Additionally,
communication barriers
may have also limited our
research, as we were at
times dependent on
translators. During the two
weeks we spent in Accra,
time constraints affected the
depth of the research. Forexample, we were unable to
meet with certain
stakeholders, such as GRA,
GRIDCO, and members of
the communities which
border the sites. The
perspectives of these actors
must be considered when
discussing strategies
regarding UA in Accra.
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+Results of SecondaryLiterature Review:
Initial
Diagnosis and
Hypotheses
Waste
Land Market
Water
In the pre-field phase, four key sectors of UA, land, water, waste and market, were examined
based on the literature review to discover the initial diagnosis of the current UA situation and
the sectoral hypotheses to achieve SUA according to our theoretical framework.We also recognized the importance of institutional relationships between stakeholders such
as the farmers associations, government agencies, research institutes, and international
organizations. Therefore, we examined different stakeholders position and influence with
regards to SUA along with the value chain. A large number of stakeholders involved have
been examined for each sector, and key actors for UA in general were then identified (please
refer to Appendix 3 for brief description of each stakeholder).
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Hypothesis:A more formalized land tenure and enhanced knowledge sharing can reduce soil
degradation and enhance land sustainability.
Sectoral Analysis: Land
Land tenure insecurity forcesfarmers to use inputs that
degrade the soil.
Farmers are concerned aboutsoil degradation caused by
using fertilizers.
Although relatively stablesince the land ownership
goes to VRA, land tenure is
informal.
Collaboration between theinternal and external
stakeholders for securing
land tenure is weak.
Initial Diagnosis Stakeholder Mapping
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Stakeholder MappingInitial Diagnosis According to AMA bylaws,
wastewater irrigation is illegal.
Farmers are concerned by theinconsistency of piped water.
Farmers are not concernedabout water quality.
Currently, mostly manualirrigation methods are used.
These are both time- and labor-intensive.
Consumers have a badperception of vegetablesgrown using wastewater for
irrigation.
There has been limitedpolitical and financial supportfrom national and local
government, although research
and pilot projects have beenlaunched by institutions and
international organizations.
Sectoral Analysis: Water
Hypothesis:Upgrading the irrigation system by both technical and institutional approaches has the
potential to secure water provision in the long term, and to reduce farmers and
consumers vulnerability to health risks.
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Hypothesis:Organic solid waste can contribute towards a sustainable urban society through the provision
of a healthier urban environment, increased livelihood options and reduced throughput in
the system in Accra.
Sectoral Analysis: Waste
A large proportion of organic wasteproduced in the city is not separated
at source or properly recycled.
Farmers like the idea of usingorganic compost but the compostproduced is not affordable for them,
and they lack motivation and
incentive to purchase the compost
produced.
Constrained by time, farmers are notinterested in composting onsite.
There is little or no motivation by thegovernment and other institutions to
empower the urban poor to engage
in micro-composting as a livelihood
source.
Farmers choose fertilizers overcompost due to the resulting rapid
growth in crops.
Initial Diagnosis Stakeholder Mapping
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Sectoral Analysis: Market
Cost and quality appear to bekey drivers for traders.
Wealthier consumers areinterested in
better/differentiated products.
Products are not differentiatedat market.
Farmers do not engage inmarketing and depend on one
route to market the market
traders.
Farmers are dependent ontrader feedback to understand
what influences consumer
demand.
Initial Diagnosis Stakeholder Mapping
Hypothesis:Farmers can gain new marketing skills to improve the way they market their products toconsumers. This can enhance consumer perception and loyalty of their produce. It can
also help attract new customers and open new routes to market.
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Key Stakeholders for UA
Figure 4. Key stakeholders for UA in Accra.
We can see from this diagram that farmers have a positive role in input and production phases
but are excluded from the rest of the value chain. This means they have little if any contact with
the consumers who buy their products and subsequently, limited knowledge about market-
related issues. NGOs like IWMI, Enterprise Works etc. can have a positive influence throughout
the whole process.
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An Integrated ApproachAt the beginning of our field trip, our initial
diagnosis and hypotheses has been tested.Hence a clear picture of UA situation of the two
sites had been achieved: We found that our
sectoral approach would not sufficiently
address or reflect the realities of UA in Accra.
Additionally, water and waste related
interventions were in progress (e.g. onsite
composting training by FSTT project).
However, the farmers and farming practices
are dependent both on stable and secure
access to land, as well as revenue from the
market. These issues are interrelated. Forexample, a Roman Ridge farmer noted that he
would be willing to pay formalized rent to
use the land for a given amount of time, but
that his capacity to pay would be dependent
on what he earns from themarket; whilealthough farmers in Plant Pool have better land
and water conditions, their farming profit is
still low since they have limited right to say on
marketing activities.A detailed information can be found in
Appendix 7.
To address these issues, we modified our
perspective, moving from a sectoral approach
that saw land, water, waste, and market as
relatively individual topics to an integrated
approach that recognized that land and market
are interrelated and that water and waste issues
are largely related to land and the market.
We also recongised the complexity of waterproblem on both sites (Appendix 6). Due to the
time and resources constraints, the finally
strategies focus more on land and market, and
we suggest the 3rd year research continue the
related research in depth.
Changing Tools
To better understand
the interdependent
nature of the issues we
examined, we
modified the value
chain model, instead
conceptualizing it as a
value cycle in order to
better depict the
strong link inpracticalities between
the revenue from the
market and the
decisions farmers
make regarding inputs
and production.Figure 4. Urban Agriculture Value Cycle
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Land
Key Findings:Comparing the Situations at Roman Ridge and Plant Pool
Pressure to Develop and Official Perspectives
The Importance of Collaboration
Strategy: Formalizing FarmsDesignation of Land
License to Use the Land
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Key FindingsComparing the Situations
at Roman Ridge and Plant PoolThe field research revealed multiple unsustainable farming
practices that must be addressed in order to achieve SUA. From
the data we collected, we found that many of these practices have a
direct link with the recognition and approval, be it formal or
informal, for the farmers to use the land. This is evident when
contrasting the tenure situations at Roman Ridge and Plant Pool and
the methods of irrigation.
In Plant Pool, farming occurs under high-tension power lines.
Though their presence is perhaps more accepted than farmers onother sites around Accra due to their historical presence on the
land, there are sometimes tensions between farmers and electricity
workers. Farmers, with the assistance of MoFA, are currently in the
process of negotiating a Memorandum of Understanding with
GRIDCO, the sites landowner. This Memorandum would increase
the rights of the Plant Pool famers, more formally acknowledging
their presence on the site. The Plant Pool site has not changed in
geographical size since the sites initial establishment.1
Farmers on Roman Ridge are not as fortunate. Agriculture occurs
on a flood-plain near high-tension power lines and the construction
of homes and offices has decreased the area able to be farmed.The Land Commission and Ghana Railway Authority, both of which
lease the land from the Osu traditional authority, are reluctant to
officially recognize farmers, as that would complicate potential
eviction efforts in the future.
The differences in situations affect irrigation infrastructure and
hence farming practices. For example, on Plant Pool, most farmers
have access to piped water. However, applications by Roman
Ridge farmers to receive piped water have been denied, as the
farmers do not have the necessary paperwork that indicates they
have the formal ability to use the land. Therefore, Roman Ridge
farmers use wastewater pumped from the river that borders thesite. The implications of using these different sources of water are
explained in the findings related to the market and in Appendix 6
(pg. 18).
1. Interviews and Focus Group of Plant Pool Farmers
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Key FindingsPressure to Develop and Official Perspectives
The Roman Ridge site is surrounded by the Roman Ridge and
Dzorwulu communities, both of which are considered privileged
and desirable neighborhoods in which to reside. This, along with
skyrocketing land prices, increases the pressure to develop.2 Until
now, the farmers at Roman Ridge have been able to work on the land
in part because the location is a floodplain, preventing flooding of
the local communities of Dzorwulu and Roman Ridge. However, theHydroservices agency will soon be upgrading the storm drain
running along the sites southern perimeter, which will mean that the
site will no longer be a floodplain. When this happens, it is very
likely that developers will move quickly to build on the land.
From conversations with politicians, government representatives,
and other institutional stakeholders, we found a widespread
perspective that UA will be pushed to peri-urban areas, particularly
Ga West. Even amongst UA advocates and researchers, the issue of
availability of land for agricultural purposes located within the urban
area seemed to be dismissed, even though land is a fundamental
input for farming. For example, AWGUPA does not include certainkey land-related stakeholders such as land-owners and traditional
authorities. Land use issues appear to be seen as too complex to
tackle, and the existing urban sites seem to have already been
ceded to development.
2. Interviews with Ayawaso SubMetro, AMA Town and Country
Planning, and Mayor of Accra
Contradictions
We repeatedly heard from officials that agriculture has no place in the city. The Mayor of Accra
expressed this sentiment when he said, [There is no] land in Accra for agriculture. However, the
Roman Ridge and Plant Pool sites show the benefits and potentials agriculture has on institutional and
marginalized lands within the urban area, and the Mayor himself pointed out that public land is
probably about 23-30% of the land in AMA. Considering the potentials urban agriculture has to
contribute to a healthy, more sustainable city, and the demonstrated ability to use land in multiple
ways, as occurs on these sites, a change in the way public land is viewed could greatly benefit Accra as
a whole.
[Accra officials
and residents]
think the only
thing land is goodfor is building
opportunities for
urban agriculture
are going to be
nilits going to
reduce and
reduce andreduce.
-Doris Tetteh, Town and
Country Planning, AMA
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The
Importance of
Collaboration
We found widespreadrecognition amongst the
stakeholders, particularly
the farmers, MoFA, and
Town and Country Planning,
that in order for UA to be
advanced in AMA, farmers
and other interested
stakeholders must be well
organized and collaborate
with one another. Though
historically there have been
multiple farmersassociations on both the
Roman Ridge and Plant Pool
sites, these Associations
were tied to government
initiatives that required
farmers to be organized in
order to receive benefits.
After the government
initiatives ended, the
Associations also informally
ended. Each site currently
has Associations, and eachmonth the chief executives
of Plant Pool, Dzorwulu, and
Roman Ridge meet
together. These
Associations are organic,
farmer-led initiatives.
The diagram to the right
shows the various
stakeholders the Roman
Ridge Farmer Association
could work with in order tomake advancements
regarding security of land
tenure, as described in the
strategy Formalizing Farms.
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Strategy:
Formalizing Farms
Building on Existing Opportunities
When talking with various stakeholders, we were encouraged to see several opportunities to make
positive advancements for urban agriculture in Ghana. For example, the land use policy is being
changed for the first time since 1945. This is a potential opportunity for urban agriculture to be
incorporated as an approved form of land use, which would go a long ways towards aiding
farmers efforts to secure land tenure.
Secondly, urban agriculture in Accra benefits greatly because of the existing collaboration
amongst supporters and key stakeholders, in the form of AWGUPA. However, it seems that this
platform can be used more effectively. For example, expanding AWGUPA to include additional
actors, such as landowners and the media, could be beneficial. Furthermore, there is room for
AWGUPA to expand its work on land-related issues.
As discussed previously, the typology of these two sites provide important
lessons for urban agriculture, particularly in the context of farming on
institutional land. Though urban agriculture is not currently viewed in
planning as a legitimate land use, farming activities on institutional and
marginalized lands can provide transformative benefits both for
communities and individual livelihoods. This challenges mainstream
conceptions of urban spaces, encouraging officials, communities, and
individuals to rethink the urban landscape in a more progressive way.
A possible strategy to overcome the problems we found is to formalize
urban agricultural practices on the Roman Ridge site by going through the
following two stages: 1) apply to the AMA Town and Country Planning
Department for the area to be designated for farming and, after this is
achieved, 2) apply to the Land Commission for a 5 year farming license.3
3. Interview with AMA Town and Country Planning
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Strategy:
Formalizing Farms Designation of Land
Stage 1: Designation of Land
Create Site Plan,
Letter, and
Petition
Town and
Country Planning
Designation
Granted
For the first stage, the farmers should create a site
plan, draft an application letter asking for the land
to be specifically designated for urban
agriculture, and organize a petition signed by
farmers, customers, and local residents and
submit it to the Town and Country Planning
department. The Roman Ridge farmers are
capable of creating each of the components of the
designation application, particularly with theassistance of MoFA, who can help with the
creation of the site plan, which is simply a map
with the site boundaries clearly marked. 4
4. Meeting with AMA Town and Country Planning
The petition is not formally part of the application procedure but is helpful in demonstrating that the
farmers are well organized and have the support of multiple stakeholders. In order for this strategy
to be effective, it will be essential that farmers collaborate not only with each other, but also withexternal actors such as MoFA, Town and Country Planning, and the residents of the surrounding
communities. The designation should then be granted within four months, according to Town and
Country Planning.
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Strategy:
Formalizing Farms -License to Use the Land
Stage 2: License to Use the Land
Completion of
Application Letter
Land
Commission
License
Awarded
The second stage requires the farmers, with
anticipated assistance and support from
AWGUPA members, particularly MoFA, to
apply to the Land Commission for a license to
farm on the land, ideally for at least 5 years.
This license would formally allow the farmers
to cultivate the land for the determined
amount of time. The site would be protected
from formal development and the farmers
would be safeguarded against attempts to
evict them from the land. Furthermore, this
should provide the basis for farmers to begin
working more formally in other aspects as
well, such as applications for credit and piped
water, if they choose.
Although there would be a fee for the license,
our meeting with the Land Commission
indicates this fee would be low and affordablefor the farmers. For more details, please see
Appendix 2 for this strategys action plan and
stakeholder mapping.
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Market
Key FindingsOverview
Comparison of Roman Ridge and Plant Pool
Deeper Analysis of Situation in Plant Pool
Impacts of the From Seed to Table ProgramDiagnosis and Opportunities
Strategy:Increasing Quality, Increasing Competitiveness,
Increasing Success
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Key FindingsOverview
Vegetable markets are quite common in Accra, with 29 markets located in different areas1. While few
farmers have supplementary jobs2, faming is no doubt the dominant source of family income for urban
farmers. Therefore, profits from farming are an important indicator in revealing the ability of UA to
improve livelihoods.
However, based on the SUA framework developed by the research, analysis on current marketing
activities on both the Roman Ridge and Plant Pool sites reveals obstacles hindering the maximization of
farmers profit, as their influence throughout the value cycle are constrained by the current marketing
system.
1. Meeting with Town and
Country Planning2. Interviews with farmers of
PP and RR
I am very happy to
see your group will
research on market
issues, since market is
the most important
channel to increase
farmers income
-- Sowah Ababio
Delvine
MoFA Extension Officer
and Group Facilitator
The consumers
complained about the
water quality, so
marketers prefer rural
products If quality of
UA is good, the
marketers will buy it.
However, small scalealso makes UA
unattractive to
wholesalers.
-- Agbogbloshie
Market Association
Market women are
tough. It is difficult tobargain with them to get a
good price
We sell crops at low
price. The market women
are not paying money
immediately [or] even no
payment
Quality is not a problem
for us as we have clean
water
-- Farmers of Plant Pool
and Roman Ridge
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+
The analysis of stakeholders shows that farmers are positively
involved in the input and production phases but their influence is
quite limited and they are reliant on the availability of resources such
as funding, land, water, seeds, etc. The contrast of the land tenure
situations of the two sites in the previous session has shown the
different consequences of farming practices. It is difficult for farmers
to apply appropriate farming practices, particularly when those
practices consumer precious resources, to realize better product
ualit and roductivit .Farmers are almost excluded from the rest of the phases of the value
cycle, most noticeably in the market phase. Interviews and focus
groups on the two sites reveal similar situations, in which market
women are dominant in selling, and a limited understanding amongst
farmers about customer demand and price changes. However,
compared with Plant Pool, Roman Ridge farmers have less motivation
and willingness to change the current situation due to their sense of
insecure land and the limited resources available.
Different Reactions towards Change
Training to use on-site poultry manure composting to replace fertilizers have been provided on
both sites. This method can lead to not only improving vegetable quality, but also to reduced
threats to health and environment. 11 of 12 farmers interviewed on Plant Pool have set up their
own composting sites. Though only 3 of 8 farmers interviewed on Roman Ridge decided to use
this method, the majority prefers to apply poultry manure on plants directly due to the amount
of time required for composting. This is understandable, considering their concerns regarding
eviction and the loss of their plots.
(Interviews with farmers of Plant Pool and Roman Ridge)
Our work focused on marketing in Plant Pool. In-depth research was conducted during the field visit to
understand the current situation. At the same time, we also took a closer look at the implementation
and impacts of the FSTT project in Plant Pool.
Key Findings
Comparison of Roman Ridge and Plant Pool
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Key FindingsDeeper Analysis of Situation in Plant Pool
Marketing channels are quite
limited. Over the past 50 years,
although vegetables grown in
Plant Pool have changed from
local to exotic types along with
the market demand, the
marketing channels have
remained nearly unchanged,
as market women play the
dominant role, with the
occasional onsite customer.1
Compared with rural products,
UA production is much less
competitive in the market due to
customers negative perceptions
of quality , coupled with
production on a smaller scale.2
Due to a media report on
wastewater irrigation in Dzorwulu
years ago, vegetables produced
in this area have a negative
reputation. Currently, though
farmers in Plant Pool are less
worried about consumer
perceptions over their vegetables
because of their ability to use
piped water for irrigation,3 the
market women and consumers
still retain negative perceptions.4
Market women play a dominant
role in selling vegetables, and
farmers have much less power
over the setting prices. Since
farmers have a relatively low
understanding of customer
demand and changes of prices
due to a lack of contact with the
market,market women havemore power over price
negotiations and do not always
guarantee payment. The farmers
interviewed have serious
concerns regarding these
problems, despite claims of the
market association in helping to
ensure payment2. These issues
are indicative of farmer insecurity
throughout the value cycle.
Price and PaymentMarketing Channel Perception
+
1. Marketing timeline from the
focus group2. Meeting with Agbogbloshie
Market Association3. Interviews with Plant Pool
Farmers4. Last year report
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+
The on-going project, From Seed to Table (FStT),is an important attempt ofimproving the current UA farming situation (Appendix 5). According to the
implementing actors, FStTconsists of 3 steps: pre-production, production,and post-production. It provides a training platform for the improvement of
farming practices in order to achieve high quality products, enhance
farmers collaboration via farmers associations, and improve the overall
marketing skills of farmers through training and management of farmer
kiosks to be established later1.
Market Key Findings (3)Impacts of From Seed to Table (FSTT)
+
Key FindingsImpacts of From Seed to Table (FSTT)
Figure 5 Farmers Reflections of PSTT
Plant Pool farmers strongly
recognize the changes
brought about by FStT and
the benefits from the new
farming methods learned
from this project. They
have great expectations
for the future kiosks,
though until now, their
marketing skills and
understanding of how to
run the kiosks is limited
(Figure 5)2.
1. Meetings with AMA-
MoFA, IWMI, EW, and one
project meeting.
2. Focus group and
Interviews with Plant Pool
Farmers
FStT Shortcomings
Our preliminary observation indicates several shortcomings of FStT.
These include: a short time-scale, lack of training output evaluation, lack
of consideration of enlarging UA production scale, unreliable projected
income increase, and a lack of dissemination plan. Please see Appendix
5 for more information.
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Key FindingsDiagnosis and Opportunities
DiagnosisThe current UA farming system featured with
inadequate input resources, inappropriate
farming practices, low consumer perceptions of
products, and limited selling channels dominated
by market women, has increased farmer
insecurity throughout the value chain. This has in
turn become an obstacle in increasing farmer
profits.
Though better farming practices and new
marketing channels have been introduced
through pilot projects, there remains space for
improvement to achieve long-term sustainability.
Therefore, a new UA marketing system should be
set up, through which urban farmers can be
motivated with higher profits, leading to an
improvement in livelihoods.
OpportunitiesProvided with more secure land use, as well as
better water for irrigation, farmers in Plant Pool
have a greater capacity to focus on increasing
market profits. They are aware of the profit
potential in enhancing marketing and have the
motivation necessary to make change.
The on-going FStT project has improved farming
practices. The cooperation and support from
institutions has provided a good foundation for
enhanced marketing. It also indicates that
institutions are concerned and willing to improvethe existing marketing system.
Considering long-term sustainability, FStT still has
some shortcomings, which provide reference
value for future strategic interventions.
+
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+
The new UA system can be described as the cycle depicted below. In the cycle, we can see the
profitability of new farming practices for farmers can be maximized by retaining the improved product
quality gained through appropriate farming practices, and promoting perception and competitiveness
of UA products; the profit can also motivate farmers to continue with the new mechanism. The cycle for
sustainable UA marketing system has been translated into our marketing strategy in five continuous
steps (Figure 6).
StrategyIncreasing Quality, Increasing
Competitiveness,Increasing Success
Figure 6. The cycle for sustainable UA marketing system translated into five continuous steps.
The Importance of Collaboration
We found that the establishment of farmers associations, facilitated by the program, also exerted
considerable effort in the whole process as it organized farmers to learn in the program and increased
cohesion and added to learning. Furthermore, we were told by the chairman of the farmers association
that the Association was about to form a monitoring committee in order to supervise the farming
practices of farmers participated in FStT.
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+
These steps, if implemented, will assist in building a new UA
marketing system to improve urban farmers livelihoods, not only in
Plant Pool, but also in other contexts. Table 2 shows the detailed
purpose and objectives of each step. In order to fulfill the objectives
of this strategy, we designed a step-by-step action plan, which ideally
should last for one and half years, excluding the long-term approach
of institutionalization. We also identified possible actors to implement
each step, and potential outputs. A detailed explanation of actions to
be taken in each step, as well as the plan for monitoring and impactassessment can be seen in Appendix 3.
StrategyIncreasing Quality, Increasing
Competitiveness,Increasing Success
Table 3. Purpose and Objectives of Each Step
There is an important prerequisite of this strategy that must be taken into account. As illustrated in our
research, Plant Pools unique advantages are the comparatively stable land tenure and better water
supply, which allow Plant Pool farmers to better plan for the future. Therefore, when designing the
strategy, we took these advantages as existing conditions for establishing new marketing system for
Plant Pool. However, if this strategy will be also used for other sites, or to institutionalize the new
mechanism, those fundamental issues must be taken into consideration. This will be illustrated in the
explanation of Step 5 in the Action Plan.
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+
+
Conclusion
Conclusion
Recommendations for Further Research
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Conclusion
This project aimed to contribute towards the
advancement of urban agriculture in AMA in a
number of different ways. We deliberately
choose the Plant Pool and Roman Ridge sites,
not only because of the interesting dynamics
present on both sites, but also because they
have not been studied as extensively as
Dzorwulu, allowing us to add information
about these sites. In our research, we
attempted to approach the most considerable
problems and pursue the most promising
opportunities in order to maximize the effect
of our research in contributing to thesustainable development of local urban
agriculture and society. Therefore, on the
Roman Ridge site we focused on the land
tenure issue while on Plant Pool we looked
into more profitable production and marketing
strategy. Regarding the theoretical
framework, although we seem to have
different focuses on two sites, the two parts of
research tightly linked to each other, in much
the same way as the strategies link together.
Both the land tenure strategy and marketing
strategy, demonstrated in the analysis usingcriteria table, have the potential of enhancing
resources of the five dimensions. Moreover, as
illustrated in the theoretical framework, as the
resources of the five dimensions of SUS are
being enhanced, the current urban agriculture is
also moving towards the direction of sustainable
development and contributing to achieve
sustainable urban society. Therefore, both
strategies have the potential of promoting
sustainable urban agriculture and ultimately
sustainable urban society.
From another perspective, the linkages between
the two strategies are also validated as they all
contribute to the upgrading of the UA value
cycle. It was demonstrated that land security was
one of the fundamental condition of sustainableurban agriculture as it encourages farmers to
invest into their land and conduct better
production practices; marketing and the profit
farmers gain also provide farmer incentives and
financial capacity in investing into the upgrading
and producing high-quality products. Hence,
there is a synergy effect between the two
strategies as they complete each other in
promoting sound agricultural system.
Alternatively, it means Roman Ridge and Plant
Pool can learn from each other with regards to
addressing land tenure issues and enhancingmarketing in order to approach more sustainable
urban agricultural system on both sites.
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Conclusion
Just as last years students focused only on a part of the whole
area in order to conduct more in-depth research, this year we
concentrated efforts on one aspect on each site. However, the
findings and the achievement we gain should not be limited to
the site where research was conducted. Actually, there is
fundamental universality on the three UA sites in the Dzorwulu
community. Hence we are expect the 2011 ESD students to
further develop what has been done, integrate the findings andstrategies on different sites, and have the big picture in mind
when they are striving to contribute to sustainable urban
agriculture in Accra.
Recommendations for Further Research
We recognize that there are many additional issues left to be explored on these sites
and, more generally, regarding SUA in AMA. Some of these issues include:
Water use through the harvest and transportation, marketing, and preparationphases of the value chain.
Consumer perceptions of UA, including perceptions of agriculture as a landuse in the urban area as well as perceptions of UA products.
The role the media plays in UA issues in AMA. Farmer access to financial services such as loans with appropriate interest
rates and repayment schedules.
Issues relating to food storage and institutionalized, collaborative efforts toprevent food from spoiling, as well as the effects of food spoilage on the Accra
food system.
Potentials to scale up agricultural activities on institutional and marginalizedland in AMA.
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References
IFAD (2010). The Sustainable Livelihoods Approach. Retrieved on February 27, 2010
from www.ifad.org/sla/index.htm.
Krants, L. (2001). Livelihoods Approach to Poverty Reduction: An Introduction. Retrieved
on February 22, 2010 from
www.catie.ac.cr/CatiesSE4/htm/Pagina%20web%20curso/readings/krantz.pdf.
Patel Center for Global Solutions (2010). What we do. Retrieved February 22, 2010 from
www.patelcenter.usf.edu.
Practical Action (2009). Livelihood-centred Approaches to Disaster Management.
Retrieved on February 22, 2010 from practicalaction.org/disaster-
livelihoods/disaster_approaches_livelihoods.
Seattle Foundation (2009). A Healthy Community: Strategies for Effective Giving.
Retrieved February 22, 2010 from www.seattlefoundation.org/page10004386.cfm.
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Appendix
1. Fieldtrip Schedule (P. 44)2. Formalizing Farms: Action Plan
and Monitoring and Impact
Evaluation (P. 46)
3. Market Strategy: Action Planand Monitoring and Impact
Evaluation (P. 48)
4. Stakeholder Information (P. 54)5. From Seed to Table Project
Profile (P. 56)
6. Water Issues in Plant Pool andRoman Ridge (P. 58)
7. Application of Criteria (P. 60)8. Fieldwork Information
Database (P. 63):
a. Interview Guide (P. 63)b. Information from
Organizations (P. 67)
c. Transact Walk (P. 81)d. Information from Farmer
Interviews (P. 85)
e. Focus Group Activities(P. 105)
The appendix contains raw data from individual interviews and
focus groups with farmers, which were used in the analysis for
this report.
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Appendix 1
Fieldtrip Schedule
Stakeholders Method Key Issues
Monday May 3
IWMIPresentation,Meeting
Previous interventions (policies, projects,institutional interaction); Financial
sources; International cooperation
AWGUPAPresentation
Q&A
Current activities, and relations among
members
Tuesday May 4
Plant Pool,
Dzorwulu, andRoman RidgeFarmers'
Associations
Transect
Walks, Brief
FocusGroups
Irrigation methods; Investment andincome issues; Health issues; Previous
projects
AMA MoFA Meeting Policy and possible changes; Financialissues
Wednesday May 5
Waste
Management and
Sanitation
Directorate
Presentation
Q&A
Waste collection and disposal methods;
Investment and income; Potentials for
change; Previus projects
ZoomLionPresentation
Q&A
Waste collection and disposal methods;
Investment and income; Potentials for
change; Previus projects
EPAPresentationQ&A
Waste collection and disposal methods;Investment and income; Potentials for
change; Previus projects
Thursday May 6
Plant Pool and
Roman Ridge
Farmers
InterviewsLand, water, waster, market, and farmers
special concerns
Planning andCoordinating
Unit/ May AMA
Meeting anddiscussion
Land planning and using, land for UA
Town and
Country Planning
Meeting and
discussionLand related projects, registering land
FSTT Regular
Project Meeting
Attending
the meetingHow to establish farmers kiosks
Friday May 7
GWCLPresentation
Q&A Infrastructure and technology
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Stakeholders Method Key Issues
GIDA PresentationQ&A
Informal irrigation strategies; Policy and
regulation trends; Land conservation;
Irrigation infrastructureDonors andNGOs
Meeting anddiscussion
Financial resources; Cost effectiveness;Donors funding projects
Enterprise WorksMeeting and
discussion
How FSTT works, and interrelationship
among stakeholders involved
Saturday May 8
Plant Pool and
Roman Ridge
Farmers
Focus
Groups
Roman Ridge: Land tenure, encroachment
timeline
Plant Pool: Marketing timeline, FAs
performance, FSTT reflections
Sunday May 9
Further Data Analysis and Group Coordination
Monday May 10
ILGSPresentation
Q&AFormalization of land tenure
Tuesday May 11
Plant Pool and
Roman Ridge
Farmers
Focus
Groups and
Interviews
Further discussions about land and market
issues, feasibility of potential strategies
AgbogbloshieMarket
Association
Meeting anddiscussion
Market of vegetables, customers demandand perception
Wednesday May 12Group discussion and preparation of the find presentation
Thursday May 13
Plenary and Group Presentations, interaction with all stakeholders
Discussions
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Appendix 2
Strategies Action Plan
Monitoring & Impact Evaluation
Formalizing Farms, Action Plan
Stage Step Action
Designation of Land
Development of site plan
Farmer collaboration with MoFA and Town
and Country Planning officers to create a
site plan indicating the boundary of thesite.
Creation of application letterCollaboration between the FA and MoFA to
complete an application letter.
Meetings with key stakeholders
to gather support for the
application, particularly the
neighboring communities, Land
Commission, and GRA
Formal farmer meetings with key
stakeholders to be facilitated when
necessary by AWGUPA members
Submission of application
materials to Town and Country
Planning
Submission of all necessary application
materials to Town and Country Planning
officials
License to Use the Land
Completion and submission of
application letter.
Ensure letter submitted to and received by
Land Commission
Collaboration between
stakeholders to show LandCommission the application is
supported by multiple
stakeholders
Regular meetings incorporating relevant
stakeholders to discuss the status of theapplication
Potential to Apply this Method to Other Sites
Knowledge-sharing
collaboration efforts between
farmers on different sites
MoFA and other AWGUPA stakeholders
facilitate formal meetings between farmers
from different sites
UA-related stakeholders
incorporating this avenue into
action planning
MoFA and other AWGUPA stakeholders
document efforts to move through this
process
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Formalizing Farms
Monitoring and Impact Evaluation
Stages Critera Impacts IndicatorsHow to Monitor and
Assess
Decision-
makers
recognize thebenefits of
designating
urban sites for
agricultural use.
Roman Ridge
application for
designation of use ofland granted.
Designation
of Land
C8,
C11,
C12
Agriculture isrecognized as a
legitimate landuse within the
urban area.
Officialplanning
processes takeinto account
urban
agricultural
practices andrecognize it as
formal part of
the urban
metabolism.
Official AMA plans
incorporate urban
agriculture practices.
License to
Use the
Land
C5, C6,
C8,
C11,C12
Evicting farmers
on the Roman
Ridge site wouldbe more difficult,
and formal plans
for development
would behindered.
Roman Ridge
farmers seen as
having a right tofarm the land.
Formal applications
to build houses and
offices on the site aredenied.
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Appendix 3Strategies Action Plan
Monitoring & Impact Evaluation
Marketing Strategy Action Plan
Stage 1:
Action plan: relevant stakeholders need to work together to build up
farmers understanding and interests of this strategy, evaluate the trainingoutputs of FStT 1st farming cycle, redefine the next two FStT training cycles
by using the evaluation results as well as capacity building for farmers.FAs capacity to organise the usage of suitable farming methods need alsoto be enhanced (e.g. managing skill training for the FA board)
Potential output: By doing so, it is possible to develop a farmers survey of
their percentage of acceptance and reflections of the 1st cycle of training.Hence it can increase the acceptance of the trained farming methods.
Furthermore, the influence of FA can also be improved.
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Step 2:
Action Plan: In this step, with assistance from EW and MoFA Extension
Officer, FA will establish FA farming practice monitoring committee (FAC),which should be elected by farmers. Farming practice monitoring should
also be started, firstly done by EW for one farming cycle, and then by FAC.At the mean time, IWMI starts regular vegetable quality monitoring.
Potential outputs will includes the FA Farming Practice Monitoring
Committee (FAC);Seasonal Reports of Farming Practice Reports; SeasonalProduct Quality Testing Reports.
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Stage 3:
Action Plan: IWMI or MoFA should certify the quality of PP vegetables and
be responsible for product branding. They are suggested to publiclyadvertise the improved quality via media (Filming of farming practices,
results of previous quality tests, etc.)
Potential outputs: the vegetables of PP will get quality certification. As the
customers will have a better perception on the products, the image of PP
vegetables can be improved. Furthermore, the public advertising also
draw public attention on the livelihood of the farmers.
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Step 4:
Action Plan: To certify and brand the PP vegetable by IWMI or MoFA; To
Publicly advertise the improved quality via media (Filming of farming
practices, results of previous quality tests, etc.)
Potential outputs:Quality certification from IWMI and PP Brand; Increaseof public perception of the products; Winning public attention of urban
farmers situation
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Step 5:The final stage is to disseminate the successful PP marketing model to RR
and Dzorwulu, and then to other place of Accra and institutionalize the
collaboration among all stakeholders involved.
To achieve this stage, the previous 4 steps should be implemented in PP
and come up with successful ending. The Secure land tenure issue needsto be addressed, stable clean water supply needs to be secured and
reduction of waste pollution should be guaranteed first. Otherwise, the
new marketing system will lose its basis, and impossible for sustainability.
Therefore, more stakeholders should be involved in AWGUPA, such as
GWCL, to negotiate for solutions for fundamental problems for UA
production, such as land tenure, water supply, etc., which are the basis ofthe new marketing mechanism. It is also important to raise political
awareness of the importance of UA from higher level (regional andnational) and get financial supports from the national government instead
of from international donors.
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Market StrategyMonitoring and Impact EvaluationThe following table shows the potential impacts to UA of this strategy, andalso shows how it can meet with the SUA criteria that we developed in thetheoretical framework. In order to monitor the process, we also identified a
set of indicators have also been identified, as well as relative stakeholders
and how they can implement the monitoring and impact assessment.
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Appendix 4:
Stakeholder Information (1)Name Brief Information
AMA andMembers
Accra Municipal Assembly. AMA has a total land size of 200 square kilometres and is made up of
eleven sub metros namely Ablekuma Central, Ablekuma North, Ablekuma South, Ashiedu Keteke,
Ayawaso Central, Ayawaso East, Ayawaso West- Wuogon,La, Okaikoi North, Okaikoi South, andOsu Klottey. authority (by-law: No crops shall be watered or irrigated by the effluent from a drain
from any premises or any surface water from a drain which is fed by water from street drainage)
Accra
Sub-
Metro
Director
The sub-metropolitan District Councils consists of around eight residential areas, were put in
place to respond to the complex and peculiar socio-economic and management diversity of the
metropolis they cater for waste collection and waste depot management but they were
ineffective due to improper logistics and management but still exist
AWGUPA
The Accra Working Group on Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture, AWGUPA, was constituted at the
multi-stakeholder forum organised by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly-Ministry of Food and
Agriculture (AMA-MoFA) and IWMI-RUAF in 2005. AWGUPA coordinated the implementation of a
joint situation analysis on urban agriculture in Accra metropolitan area and the multi-actor
preparation of a City Strategic Agenda on urban and peri-urban agriculture.
CSIRCouncil for Scientific and Industrial Research, together with MoFA-AMA Directorate, suggested
exploring the option of ground water use in urban farming
Enterpris
e Works
EnterpriseWorks Worldwide is a not-for-profit development organization that promotessustainable, enterprise-oriented solutions to problems facing small-scale producers around the
developing world. EnterpriseWorks' mission is to harness the power of the private sector to
increase employment, raise family incomes, and promote civil stability. EnterpriseWorks and its
partners help farmers and entrepreneurs transform their livelihoods by adding value to
commodities, safeguarding natural resources, and accessing profitable markets.
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization
GIDA
Ghana Irrigation Development Authority, under the MoFA, To explore all water resources for
livelihood options in agriculture at appropriate scales for all communities. To formulate and
execute plans to promote the development of land and water resources in Ghana for crop
production, livestock watering, aquaculture, agricultural related industries and institutions within
a sustainable environment.
GRIDCO
Land Owner of Plant Pool Faming land. Ghana Grid Company Limited was incorporated on 15th
December, 2006 as a private limited liability company and granted a certificate to commence
business on the 18th December, 2006. The functions of GRIDCO are undertake economic dispatch
and transmission of electricity from wholesale suppliers to bulk customers; provide fair and non-discriminatory transmission services to all power market participants; acquire, own and manage
assets, facilities and systems required to transmit electrical energy; undertake metering and
billing services; carry out transmission system planning and implement investments necessary to
provide the capacity to reliably transmit electric energy; Manage the Whole Sale Power Market.
GWSC Ghana Water and Sewage Cooperation
GWCLGhana Water Company Limited (has cautioned the public to put a stop to the use of treated water
for irrigation, and the alternative can be grey water
Informal
Sector
The role of the informal sector such as the the small scale urban farmer, vegetable producers and
waste picking fall under the informal sector category. the activities of this sector has not been
given the recognition it deserves. although Accra does not have large numbers of waste
pickers,Waste picking fulfils a service gap in the solid waste management
IDRC
The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) is a Crown corporation created by the
Parliament of Canada in 1970 to help developing countries use science and technology to findpractical, long-term solutions to the social, economic, and environmental problems they face. Our
support is directed toward creating a local research community whose work will build healthier,
more equitable, and more prosperous societies.
IWMI
International Water Management Institute is a nonprofit scientific research organization focusing
on the sustainable use of water and land resources in agriculture and on the water needs of
developing countries. IWMI's mission is to improve water and land resources management for
food, livelihoods and nature.
MoFA
The main goal of the Ministry of Food And Agriculture ( MOFA ) is to create an environment for
sustainable growth and development in the Agriultural Sector that would include:Provision of food
security; Supply of raw materials for industry; Creation of employment; Reduction in poverty and
the creation of wealth, etc.
MoFA-
AMA
Directora
te
Together with CSIR, suggested exploring the option of ground water use in urban farming
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Stakeholders Information (2)
Name Brief Information
MoWH
The Ministry of Works and Housing has as its main functions the formulation and co-ordination of
policies and programmes for the systematic development of the country's infrastructure
requirements in respect of Works, Housing, Water Supply and Sanitation and Hydrology. The
Ministry co-ordinates and supervises, by way of monitoring and evaluation of the performance of
both public and private agencies responding to and participating in the realisation of the policy
objectives established for the sector.
PURCThe Public Utilities Regulatory Commission of Ghana is an independent body set up to regulate
and oversee the provision of the highest quality of electricity and water services to consumers.
Private
Waste
Collector
s
it came about as a result of the privatisation of the WMD by AMA in 1996. they have contributed to
the reduction of waste in the city but effects are not fully felt due the volume of waste produced by
the city.
RUAF
Resource Centre on Urban Agriculture and Food Security (RUAF) aims to contribute to urban
poverty reduction, employment generation and food security and to stimulate participatory city
governance and improved urban environmental management, by creating enabling conditions forempowerment of male and female urban and peri-urban farmers, capacity development of local
authorities and other stakeholders and by facilitating the integration of urban agriculture in
gender-sensitive policies and action programmes of local governments, civic society
organisations and private enterprises with active involvement of the urban farmers, livestock
keepers and other relevant stakeholders
SWITCH
SWITCH is the name of an action research programme, implemented and co-funded by the
European Union and a cross-disciplinary team of 33 partners from 15 countries around the world.
SWITCH aims to bring about a paradigm shift in urban water management away from existing ad
hoc solutions to urban water management and towards a more coherent and integrated approach.
The vision of SWITCH is for sustainable urban water management in the 'City of the Future'.
Town and
Country
Planning
Department of the municipal council dealing with planning. Their direct involvement in the use of
the Dzorwulu land could be minimal due to decentralization but we need to check this when we
arrive
Universit
y of
Ghana
The University of Ghana is the oldest and largest of the seven Ghanaian public universities. It is by
far the most prestigious university in West Africa. It was founded in 1948[2] as the University
College of the Gold Coast, and was originally an affiliate college of the University of London[3],
which supervised its academic programmes and awarded degrees. It gained full university status
in 1961[3], and now has nearly 42,000 students.
Volta
River
Authority
The Volta River Authority (VRA) was established on April 26, 1961 under the Volta River
Development Act, Act 46 of the Republic of Ghana, as a body corporate with the mandate to
operate mainly as a power generation, transmission and distribution utility. In 2005, following the
promulgation of a major amendment to the VRA Act in the context of the Ghana Government
Power Sector Reforms, the VRA's mandate has now been largely restricted to generation of
electricity. The transmission function has been hived off into a separate entity, designated National
Grid Company to perform the transmission activities. During this process of transition, the VRA is
planning to operate its distribution agency, the Northern Electricity Department (NED) as a
subsidiary company to merge with the Electricity Company of Ghana into a single distribution
utility after the transmission period. The amendment has a key function of creating the requisite
environment to attract independent power producers (IPPs) onto the Ghana energy market.
WaterAid
WaterAid's vision is of a world where everyone has access to safe water and sanitation. WaterAid
transforms lives by improving access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation in the world's poorestcommunities. We work with partners and influence decision-makers to maximize our impact.
WB World Bank
Waste
Managem
ent Dept
An independently managed waste organization which generates its operational revenue through
the collection of user charges from service users, directly pays its staff and performs vigilance
and enforcement of laws which control waste generators and haulers amongst others. Its
autonomy is limited by AMA which is responsible for its supervision and budgetary control of the
also decides its policies and strategies.
World
vision
World Vision does community development, disaster relief and advocacy. World Vision is a
Christian relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children,
families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice.
Zoomlion
AccraLimited
Zoomlion Ghana Limited is a waste management company on the environmental landscape of
Ghana. It is in association with Zoomlion China, manufacturers of quality and durable waste
management vehicles and equipment with over 50years experience in the waste managementsector in China. DETAILS OF SERVICES: Solid Waste pre-collection door to door service; Street
Sweeping and Drain Cleaning; Liquid waste Collection and Haulage to disposal sites
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Appendix 5:
From Seed to Table Project (FStT) Profile
The RUAF Programme From Seed to Table (FSTT, 2009-2010) aims to
facilitate the development of sustainable urban farming systems and tocontribute to urban poverty alleviation and enhanced urban food security,
social inclusion and empowerment of urban disadvantaged groups in 18
partner cities around the world. It builds on the results of the RUAF- Cities
Farming for the Future Programme (2005-2008) (RUAF, From Seed to Table,http://www.ruaf.org/node/1970).
FSTT in Accra takes in Plant Pool, Dzorwulu, and Roman Ridge as pilot
areas. Farmer groups in the three sites will seek to improve the production
and marketing of vegetables by providing appropriate farming practicestraining to the farmers, capacity building of local stakeholders, and
seeking new marketing channels including direct sale to restaurants and atfarmer kiosks (shops).
This programme is conducted by IWMI-RUAF, and implemented by
Enterprise Works, with the support from Accra Metropolitan Assembly-Ministry of Food and Agriculture (AMA-MoFA), who facilitates the
collaboration within AWGUPA. Meanwhile, MoFA Extension Officer works
as daily contact with local famers as well as the farmers associations.
Representatives from all the above-mentioned actors (including farmerrepresentatives from each group) will have regular project meetings to
discuss project progress, and find solutions to new problems. Trainings on
appropriate farming practices are provided to the farmers through UrbanProducers Field Schools (UPFS).
Up till now, the three farmers groups have reached an agreement in their
joint business plan to produce a range of vegetables, and sell to hotels,
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restaurants and at farmer kiosks. A first cycle of UPFSs on the production of
lettuce has already finished. In terms of new marketing channels, on onehand, no clear progress has been achieved for direct sales to restaurants
and hotels; on the other hands, establishment of farmer kiosks goes
smoothly, and has attracted farmers great attention. . There are three
areas selected for the kiosks: Ministries Area (theres already a shop there);Identa (a residential area) and Medina (this isnt finalized). Now they are
discussing on how to run the kiosks.According to the field trip observation, there are also some shortcomingsthat may reduce FSTTs achievement. Due to the time constraint, this can
only be considered as preliminary observation, and to be more precise, it
deserves further analysis with more information and resources available.
(1) Too short time-scale: 2 year is not enough to realise the ambitious goals
of this program. For example, it takes time for farmers to understand andadapt the sustainable farming practices (because of tradition, financialcapability, resources availability, etc). It also takes time for both farmers
and customers to get used to the farmers kiosks. Given longer time, there
would be more space for revision the output, as well as farmers reflectionson it.
(2) Evaluation of training output not sufficient enough: FSTT has three
cycles of UPFSs, which is a good cycling system to enhance theachievement. However, there should be enough time space between each
cycle to make sufficient evaluation of training output, so that the next cycle
could be improved in advance.
(3) Projected increase of farmer's income. The programme predicted the
increase of farmers' income could be more than 15%. While only 30% of
the total products can be sold through the farmer kiosks, and the rest stillhave to remain in the same route, it is hard to guarantee this increase, at
least within the 2-year programme period.
(4) Not enough collaboration between different FAs for larger production
scale. If be more competitive, UA products should be sold in larger scale.
Besides looking for new marketing channels for individual farmers, orsingle FAs, it would be more competitive if make different FA working as awhole to enlarge production scale.
(5) Lack of dissemination plan: FSTT is a good attempt for changing thesustainable UA farming system, as well as mobilizing the farmers
throughout the value chain. It will be important to disseminate the success
to other sites in Accra. During the field trip, we haven't seen a clear
dissemination plan for it.
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Appendix 6
Water Issues in Roman Ridge and Plant Pool
Although quite close to each other, water conditions for UA are quite
different in Roman Ridge and Plant Pool. Our research on water issuesfocuses on input and production phases. We suggest a further research on
the rest phases for the 3rd year group. Hence the whole picture of water
issues can be discovered, when a feasible strategy on water specifically
fits in the political context and collaboration could be formed.
Irrigation in Roman Ridge
On the Roman Ridge site, there are two overarching issues regarding
water use. The first relates to the source of the water used for irrigation.Farmers pump water from the stream that borders the southern edge of the
site. While this is beneficial in that it is a steady source of water, the quality
of the water is poor due to contamination from the surrounding
development and improper disposal of waste. Farmers understand themarket implications of using wastewater, as knowledge of wastewater use
during production negatively impacts consumer perceptions in the market.
These negative perceptions continue, despite changes in productionprocesses to mitigate bad side effects of wastewater use. Both Plant Pool
and Roman Ridge farmers pump water into stabilizing ponds prior to using
the water for irrigation. Water is left in the ponds for two to three days,
allowing sediment to settle while water lettuce, which grows in the ponds,cleanses the water. Crops are then irrigated either with hoses or with
watering cans, the spouts of which are covered with netting to further clean
the water. Furthermore, numerous studies have shown that wastewater canbe used safely, and municipal policies have recently changed, making
such use legal.
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Another overarching issue involves larger-scale water management on the
Roman Ridge site. The site is located on a floodplain, making itundesirable for construction and providing a very informal form of
protection against development on most of the site. However, as
mentioned in the land section, there are current plans to line the drain near
the site, which would better manage the water and potentially open theland for development.
Irrigation in Plant Pool
Farmers in Plant Pool use both pipe-bone water and drain water for
irrigation. Since land availability in Plant Pool is much more stable than that
of Roman Ridge, farmers succeeded in applying for pipe water system
from GWCL, and now about 70% of the total farming land in Plant Pool hasbeen equipped with irrigation pipe lines. The rest, most of whom own
farming beds close to a drain, uses wastewater from the drain for irrigation.
Generally speaking, farmers using pipe water for irrigation own the bedsfar from the drain. Compared with the intensive time and labour
consumption of fetching water from the drain, they feel the water fees are
more affordable, and are willing to pay to sustain the pipe water supply.
However, compared with stream water in Roman Ridge, pipe-bone water is
not steady, especially in dry season, when all water supply will be cut off
by GWCL in the region. Since pipe-water is the only source for thosefarmers, many of them will give up irrigation during the cut-off periods,
leaving vegetables dried or even die.
With comparatively clean water for irrigation, farmers in Plant Pool aremore confident about their vegetable quality. However, due to the overall
low perception of UA vegetables due to contaminated water supply in most
of the urban area, and that trader dont differentiate vegetables in themarkets, it is difficult to see clear higher profit can be gained by using
pipe water irrigation for the Plant Pool farmers.
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Appendix 7:
Application of Criteria
The following tables explain our analysis of the current situation at
Roman Ridge and Plant Pool using the criteria we developed from SUS.
Resource CriteriaPlant
Pool
Roman
Ridge
C1: Microfinance and savings programs are
available and affordable for local farmers toinvest in their productionEconomic
C2: The market allows farmers to increase profits
from production
Economic:From the information gathered from the farmers and other stake holders it
was observed that micro finance and savings programs are to some extentavailable to the farmers but they are unable to access these finance easily
due to the high interest rates and short loan repayment period. In the case
of the sav