Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
and female farmers in Northern Ghana in participatory development projects. It is easy to make
this list of local resources longer. The point is that through a well-guided extension process,
farmers are encouraged to use these local resources. Also, in Northern Ghana, farmers are
brainwashed and think that farming is only possible with chemicals. Local resources are often
seen as too laborious, too difficult to get or lacking clear effects. An enlightened farmer sum-
marised it as follows: soil erosion is possible because of soul erosion. Through a participatory
extension process farmers realise that with local resources many problems can be solved.
Organic farming increases the awareness of available natural resources.
When the participatory process is well guided it increases the confidence and
independence of farmers tremendously
Farmers reported that yields following compost application increased up to 4000 kg ha
-1
of maize
and more importantly, that crops are less prone to damage from dry spells because of higher soil
organic matter content. Some farmers even experiment with the combination of compost and
fertiliser. They achieve yields of up to 5000 kg ha
-1
. One particular farmer planted trees around
his 8 hectare farm and allowed 2.8 hectares to develop into forest. The leaves of the fence and the
2.8 hectare forest kept the soil very fertile. This was a self-developed system. Another farmer used
fodder trees and thorny plants to make a kraal for animals. The fodder trees provided food and
shade for the animals and the thorns prevented damage to the trees. A third farmer allowed a
local green manure (
Occidentalis
spp.) to grow between yam mounds. In mounds where yam-
plants did not grow well, the leaves of green manure were dug in, resulting in larger yams.
When farmers are successful in solving problems on their own, their confidence increases.
A participatory process increases the ownership feeling of the problem and of the solution. The
potentials of this kind of development process are highly underestimated by development
workers.
Northern Ghanaians lie in communities and in large social networks
The individual is nothing without a group of people. Individual development is difficult. There
are many mechanisms that prevent individuals from developing. Development should, in
principle, benefit the whole community; therefore, Zasilari Ecological Farms Project (ZEFP
2006), as with many other successful development projects, works with groups. ZEFP asks
community members to forms groups, often consisting of people who are already in the same
social network. After training in group dynamics, group organisation and the basics of money
literacy, ZEFP guides the groups through a participatory extension approach. This group work,
especially when there are successes, improves trust and harmony among the members consid-
erably. Trust and harmony are some of the basics of sustainable development (Box 5). Working
in groups gives farmers identity and status and strengthens the social network.
Traditional societies are not static
Changes are accepted when the right procedures are followed. If local group or community
leaders do not accept change, individuals are not motivated to use new technologies. Accept-
ance largely depends on the way of introducing the change. Traditional procedures in which
local gods and ancestors are consulted about the acceptance of new technologies still exist in
Northern Ghana. In many development projects, such cultural acceptance procedures are
overlooked. Often, changes are assessed on their economic benefits. Certainly, the traditional
leaders will also assess the new technology or the economic benefit, but will also assess their
'cultural security'. In the case of the maize sheller (Box 4), the chief was worried that during
maize shelling, in which the whole family is involved, the older family members tell traditional
stories. These stories are very important in transferring norms, values, family and community
