WRCF: Western Region Coastal Foundation

Project description / objective

To improve social and economic conditions of citizens affected by the operations of Oil & Gas in Ghana by assessing and responding to community needs through a multi stakeholder dialogue. 

WRCF responds to the jobs and income concerns of the citizens by creating a functioning, sustainable system that drives increasing productivity and competitiveness for the benefit of poor. It catalyses incentives for market actors to support production and marketing of value chains with potential to create jobs and increase income for the poor. 
 

Market system focus

1. Aquaculture - catfish farming

The declining marine fish catch in Ghana has a negative impact on the fishing value chain actors such as fishermen, fish processors and marketers.

Aquaculture is a viable alternative to augment fish supply and improve food security. By applying the systems approach we are able to situate the poor in the fish value chain and work with

• market actors including feed producers
• fingerling producers
• buyers and service providers
• regulators to incentivise the system to work for the poor

2. Cassava

Cassava contributes significantly to incomes and rural livelihoods for both men and women living in the Western Region.

It is a climate-resilient food crop, a staple food and in high demand for value added processing. Farmers use improved variety of cassava and adopt good agricultural practices for improved yield. 

3. Climate Smart Agriculture - vegetable farming

Build capacity of farmers in sustainable farming practices as well as improve their access to alternative sources of water besides rainfall. This will enable year-round round vegetable production, ensure food security for households of beneficiaries and sustainable vegetable supply chain in the Ghana’s Western Region.

[uploaded February 2018]

Programme interventions

1. Aquaculture - catfish farming

Intervention 1
Improve technical and managerial knowledge of fish farmers through partnership with the Water Resources Institute and Fisheries Commission.
130 farmers have improved their knowledge in aquaculture best practices.

Intervention 2

• Implement pilot aquaculture demonstration ponds to demonstrate increased productivity and profitability of aquaculture.
• Improve relationships among value chain actors such as feed producers, fingerling producers, rural financial institutions, fisheries commission and the Environmental Protection Agency 

Intervention 3

Improve fish market linkages by analysing the end market in terms of pricing and quality requirements expected to be met by the producers and fostering linkages with fish processors.

This diagnosis  clarified  the underlying causes of market failure and enabled appropriate design of strategies to address them. 

2. Cassava

Intervention 1
Partnership with research institutions and input dealers and the Ministry of Agriculture  to obtain  improved variety of cassava for improved yields.

Intervention 2
Improve market linkages by conducting a test harvest to ascertain volume/ ha and conducting diagnoses of potential buyers in terms of demand, price, quality, reliability and consistency.  

3. Climate Smart Agriculture - vegetable farming

Intervention 1
Build capacity of vegetable farmers through training in good agricultural practices and establish demonstration farms to provide practical training to farmers by working with input dealers, service providers and regulators.

Intervention 2
Adapt and build resilience to climate change, as well as reduce and/or remove greenhouse emissions, where possible.

This is achieved by working with the Coastal Sustainable Landscape Project to equip farmers with the capacity to practice organic farming and apply rain harvesting techniques for all year round farming.

Notable results (systemic change, poverty impact)

1. Aquaculture - catfish farming

• 102 people obtained jobs in aquaculture intervention in 2016
• 120 fish farmers increased their income by 55 per cent
• 120 farmers have improved productivity by reducing the Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) from 4:1 to 1.6:1
• The Fish Production Cycle has reduced from nine months to five months. Farmers are able to produce two cycles in a year 
• Demonstration ponds realised a 13.6 per cent Return On Investment (ROI) 

2. Cassava

• 244 people obtained  jobs in the cassava intervention in 2016 

 3. Climate Smart Agriculture - vegetable farming

• 130 farmers improved their knowledge in organic farming and climate smart agriculture in 2017