Since the early 1970's, the church-based agricultural projects under the umbrella of ACDEP have worked to improve agricultural productivity of small scale farmers in northern Ghana in order to address rural poverty and improve food security. There are currently twenty church-based agricultural projects in the three northern regions of Ghana who are working in over 500 communities and supporting 30,000 rural small-scale farmers and women in agricultural production and livelihoods.

Program Accomplishments
- 15 ACDEP Agric stations, 10 MoFA Districts, ARI, SARI, UDS and 150 rural communities have adopted and mainstreamed Participatory Technology Development (PTD) and Low-External Input and Sustainable Agric (LEISA) approaches and technologies in their agricultural production, extension and research programs and activities. 5 of the stations have also adopted the Sustainable Livelihood Approach (SLA) in the their agricultural and livelihoods programming for poverty of poor and vulnerable rural households.
- Best and sustainable agricultural innovations in crop and livestock improvement, agro-processing, micro-enterprises, gender integration and climatic adaptation have been developed and being promoted in 200 communities leading significant improvement in agricultural productivity, household food security and livelihoods empowerment.
- 1,600 rural women are economically empowered and have sustainable livelihoods and incomes
- View some more information on our work around Livestock.

Background

Agriculture is the mainstay for approximate 70% of the 20 million Ghanaians, providing employment, food security for domestic consumption and cash crops for the local and export markets, and raw materials for local industry. The main export crops include cocoa, cotton and cattle. Northern Ghana contributes up to 80% of the Ghana food basket and for the local market, comprising of major crops like yam, cassava, maize, millet, sorghum, rice, groundnuts, beans etc, while livestock species produced cattle, sheep, goats, poultry and pigs.

Northern Ghana is generally flat with soils which are predominantly poor soil. This situation is aggravated by very harsh and unfavourable climatic conditions of short and erratic rainfall patterns. This has led to a consistent decline in agricultural productivity and a widespread poverty over the years, especially in rural communities.

Projects