Roman Ridge Plant Pool Report

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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.



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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.


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


EPAPresentationQ&A

Waste collection and disposal methods;Investment and income; Potentials for


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


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


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

Roman Ridge Plant Pool Report

Documents

Transcript of Roman Ridge Plant Pool Report