Bridging the Gender Gap in African Agriculture

With support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) project, through the U.S. government’s Feed the Future Initiative launched its 2017 round of Gender in Agribusiness Investments in Africa (GAIA) competition.  The competition entailed a rigorous selection process that saw over 200 applications, selected winners from18 countries gathered in Accra to strengthen their business skills and pitch ideas to investors. From April 3-4, a group of 31agribusiness entrepreneurs from across West and North Africa participated in an intensive entrepreneurship program, and then on April 5 these entrepreneurs presented their research and innovations to potential investors. In attendance were USAID/Ghana Mission Director, Andrew Karas and AWARD Director, Dr. Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg.

The entrepreneurs learned about the current investor landscape, how to raise funds, and networked with potential investors and collaborators. During the event, entrepreneurs received training on how to successfully integrate gender issues across their businesses. The event culminated with a pitching competition where three leading entrepreneurs were pronounced winners and received cash prizes.

The AWARD project, under Feed the Future, the U.S. government’s global hunger and food security initiative, aims to promote gender responsive agriculture and improve the efficiency of agribusiness through its entrepreneurship competition. “The Gender in Agribusiness Investments for Africa competition was launched to bridge the gender gap in agricultural research and highlight the important role gender plays in spurring economic growth,” remarked Mr. Karas.

“We are particularly keen that, as it grows in importance, the agribusiness sector does not exacerbate existing social inequalities, but rather remains a vehicle for inclusive agricultural growth for the continent,” said Dr. Kamau-Rutenberg.

The 2017 round of GAIA competitions was funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) as part of its High Five strategy, which includes Feed Africa, an initiative to transform Africa’s agricultural sector for enhanced and inclusive economic growth. According to AfDB’s Gender Policy and Program Coordinator, Dr. Basil Jones, “GAIA addresses the need for inclusive innovation systems in agricultural research and development by ensuring the visibility, commercialization and scaling up of gender responsive agricultural innovations.”

Leading the development of the GAIA training content is Intellecap, an international training and consulting firm focused on advancing market-oriented innovations that have positive social and environmental impacts on the most vulnerable populations.  This event was also supported by the African Agribusiness Incubators Network (AAIN) which nurtures agribusiness incubators to strengthen agribusinesses across the continent.

USAID EVENT STRENGTHENS AGRIBUSINESS IN NORTHERN GHANA

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through the U.S. government’s Feed the Future Initiative, and the National Seed Trade Association of Ghana (NASTAG), held the seventh annual Pre-season Planning and Networking Forum on March 30 in Ghana’s Northern Region. The event brought together 800 government officials, farmers, agribusinesses, processors, agro-input dealers, seed companies, and producers from across the country to build partnerships, establish market linkages, share lessons learned and coordinate planning for the upcoming planting season.  The objective of the event is to create a platform for the agriculture sector to build more competitive businesses and enhance agricultural productivity in northern Ghana. In attendance were Northern Regional Minister Salifu Saeed and USAID/Ghana Deputy Mission Director Steven E. Hendrix.

At the event, Honorable Saeed and Mr. Hendrix handed over 22 seed vans (motorized vehicles) to selected seed producers and agro-input dealers.  These vans will assist them in reaching the most remote farming communities in Northern Ghana, to mitigate challenges these communities face accessing high-yielding seeds. Additionally, the event featured panel discussions and an exhibition of irrigation technology, farm and processing equipment, and improved seed varieties. Topics discussed included ways to increase access to finance for agribusinesses, the availability of high yielding seeds, and current investments made in northern Ghana.

“Today’s pre-season event is an important forum for catalyzing agriculture-led economic growth. It has linked hundreds of Ghanaian agribusinesses to local and international markets and fostered partnerships between farmers and agribusinesses,” said Mr. Hendrix.

Through Feed the Future, the U.S. government’s global hunger and food security initiative, USAID works with the Ghana Government and development partners to improve the competitiveness of the maize, rice and soybean value chains. Ghana is one of Feed the Future’s priority countries. In Ghana, Feed the Future works to increase agricultural competitiveness, with a focus on the three northern regions, by introducing farmers to new technologies and techniques that boost productivity, strengthening agricultural research, linking farmers and agribusinesses to markets, and stimulating private sector investment.

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About USAID

USAID is the lead U.S. government agency that works to end extreme global poverty and enable resilient, democratic societies to realize their potential. USAID has supported Ghana in increasing food security, improving basic health care, enhancing access to quality basic education, and strengthening local governance to benefit all Ghanaian people.

USAID Strengthens Development in Central and Western Regions

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Ghana Mission Director, Andrew Karas, traveled to the Central and Western Regions from March 27-31 to meet with stakeholders and visit USAID programs and activities. The objective of the visit was to fortify USAID’s partnerships in Ghana’s Central and Western Regions to achieve positive development results.

During the trip, Mr. Karas met with Central Regional Minister Hon. Kwamena Duncan to discuss ways to accelerate economic growth in the region by improving access to quality education. Mr. Karas also met with fisherfolk in Kokrobite and Bortianor to discuss the adoption of responsible fishing practices to preserve fish stocks and marine ecosystems. At the University of Cape Coast, Mr. Karas met with the Pro Vice Chancellor and toured the research laboratories of the fisheries department, which was recently renovated and furnished with support from USAID.

While in the Central Region, Mr. Karas visited several USAID-supported health sites, including the Community Health Nurses Training College in Winneba and Nyame Tse Ase, a private maternity home in Komenda that provides maternal and child health services to more than 1,000 patients each month. He also met with anti-child labor and trafficking advocates in Moree, where USAID supports efforts to eradicate child labor in the region.

In the Western Region, Mr. Karas met with the Regional Minister, Dr. Kwabena Afriyie, to discuss child labor in the cocoa sector, as well as ways to curb illegal and unregulated gold mining operations, or galamsey. While in the region, Mr. Karas met with members of a small-scale mining and processing community to learn about the challenges they face, and to discuss potential alternative livelihoods. Following this visit, Mr. Karas toured a mangrove nursery along the banks of the Ankobra River where, with Feed the Future support, community members are taking the lead to preserve their valuable natural resources. Through Feed the Future, the U.S. government’s global hunger and food security initiative, USAID works with coastal communities in the Central and Western Regions to encourage more sustainable fishing practices and the preservation of key natural resources.

“USAID is strongly committed to supporting development in the Central and Western Regions,” said Mr. Karas. “We work closely with the Government of Ghana, civil society, health workers, fisher folk, and other stakeholders to improve food security, health, and education, and to combat child labor and trafficking.”

USAID/Ghana works in four key areas: economic growth, education, health and democracy. USAID works with the Ghana Government to boost agricultural productivity, increase access to education, improve health services and promote good governance.

More children with disabilities get the chance to access mainstream school

Thousands of children with mild to moderate disabilities in Ghana now have greater access to mainstream schools thanks to a recently established Inclusive Education Policy. UNICEF, with funding support from USAID, is working with the Ghanaian Government through the Ghana Education Service to support 20 districts[1] in the implementation of Inclusive Education.    “It is encouraging to see that all children especially those with special needs now have a chance to learn in an inclusive environment,” said Susan Namondo Ngongi, UNICEF representative in Ghana. Today’s announcement comes as UNICEF and USAID jointly hand over essential assistive devices and basic screening materials procured by UNICEF worth USD $100,000 to the Government of Ghana for use in assessment centres in all ten regions across the country. The handover takes place at the flagship assessment centre in Central Region, located within the Cape Coast School for the Deaf/Blind. The equipment, which includes assistive devices (child-sized wheelchairs, crutches, complete spectacles, and hearing aids) and basic screening materials (including snellen charts, tossing rings, tennis balls, drums), will provide the much needed support for the community, especially pupils and students with special educational needs. “Inclusive education is a particularly strong priority for USAID,” said USAID/Ghana Mission Director Andy Karas. “I have seen first-hand the power of these efforts to not only open up opportunities for children with special needs, but to help all children receive a better education.”

Despite the commitment made by the Government in its Inclusive Education policy, children with disabilities are still at risk of stigma, misunderstanding, and discrimination particularly within their local communities.  Such discrimination hinders a child’s chance to receive a quality education.  UNICEF will therefore continue to support the Ghanaian Government, through the Ministry of Education/Ghana

Education Service,and Civil Society Organizations to create awareness of the IE Policy and its implementation at both national and sub-national levels.    “Children with disabilities will never be able to achieve their full potential unless they are given a fair chance to learn like any other child.  While Ghana’s Inclusive Education policy plays an essential role, we need greater collaboration with family members, communities, Development Partners, Civil Society, and all stakeholders to allow every child a chance to thrive. The UNICEF and USAID partnership is a demonstration of what can be achieved when we work together,” said Susan Namondo Ngongi, UNICEF Representative in Ghana.

Participants at agric forum demand coordinated agric policies

Participants at an agricultural symposium in Accra have called for proper coordination of the programmes and policies in the agriculture sector.
They said due to the multidisciplinary nature of the sector, all stakeholders must coordinate all agricultural and agricultural related activities to avoid poor coordination and implementation of policies.
A panelist, Dr Akosua Darkwah of the Department of Sociology at the University of Ghana, at a policy symposium on March 23, 2017, said there seemed to be different activities going on at different places which made it difficult to have a sense of direction and how to succeed.

Challenges with policy implementation
Most participants at the forum stressed the need to bridge the gap between policies and their implementation in the agricultural sector.
This, they said, would lead to a better transformation in the agricultural sector. An Officer at the Policy, Planning and Budget Directorate of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Madam Dorothy Effah, said the issue of funding for the needed investments in the agricultural sector was a challenge.
 “Funding is a big issue affecting the performance of the agric sector and subsequently monitoring. For us to move forward, we should invest in our agric and not rely so much on donor partners,” she said.
She said often, implementing policies had become a challenge because policy makers do not come out with policies that farmers on the ground could identify with.
 “The mistakes policy makers have been making over the years are that they forget to design policies that would benefit farmers on the ground,” she noted.
In a presentation on, ‘Sustainable Agricultural Intensification; Policy Implications for Agriculture Modernisation Ghana,’ the Head Research at the Science and Technology Policy Research Institute (STEPRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Dr Wilhemina Quaye, said agriculture had lot of opportunities but unfortunately, its contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was dwindling, hence the need for value addition and modernisation in the sector.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 2007, predicts a reduction of 50 per cent in crop yield by 2020 in Africa, and a fall in crop net revenues of 90 per cent by 2100.
Consequently, Dr Quaye said deliberate efforts should be made to ensure that we made good policies and get them down to the targeted stakeholders.
“We can’t leave agric on the shoulders of government and donors alone. Research has revealed that transition towards more sustainable agriculture requires new kinds of knowledge and new ways of learning after which we put in to practice to ensure that resources are maintained for generations unborn,” she said.

Pull Quote
Funding is a big issue affecting the performance of the agric sector and subsequently monitoring. For us to move forward, we should invest in our agric and not rely so much on donor partners.
Key Note
Economists say that the widening gap is a result of unequal distribution of investments especially in the agriculture sector.