Women in Ghana Learn The Power Of Moringa
Until recently, Nuhu Mariama of Dorimon, Ghana, had only used moringa leaves sparingly in her cooking. Like many people in rural communities, she didn’t know about the potential of this…
Read More136 Smallholder Farmers in Ghana Claim Drought-Index Insurance for the First Time
In Ghana, dependence on rain-fed agriculture and erratic rainfall patterns linked to climate change have left smallholder farmers and their households vulnerable to food insecurity. For decades, those farmers who contribute the most to food production in Ghana have run the risk of crop failure due to floods or drought.
One strategy to reduce risk and increase resilience among these farmers is to provide drought-index insurance, which reduces the financial risk of crop failure by providing payouts based on rainfall patterns measured by the Ghana Meteorological Agency. In collaboration with the Ghana Agricultural Insurance Pool, Feed the Future is introducing these insurance products in Northern Ghana, helping to protect farmers, agro-processors, rural banks and financial institutions, input dealers and others from the effects of drought.
In October 2012, 136 farmers in the Northern Region received claims under the drought-index insurance scheme, marking the first time in the history of Ghana that the agriculture sector has received compensation for losses due to a shortfall in rain through such a program. Feed the Future introduced smallholder farmers to the insurance scheme in 2011 and procured and installed five automated weather stations at five districts in the Northern and Upper West Regions for the Ghana Meteorological Agency.
“With this we realize that there is some truth in the whole insurance project or program. We are thinking of insuring, if not all our 3,000 farmers, at least we will insure 120 acres of our land,” said Alhassan Musah, operations manager of Gundaa Produce Company in Tamale.
This insurance initiative is managed by GIZ’s Innovative Insurance Products for the Adaptation to Climate Change program funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. It was developed through the efforts of other stakeholders such as National Insurance Commission, Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Ghana Insurers Association, Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Ghana Meteorological Agency with support from Swiss Re.
Related Stories
Blacksmiths in Ghana Test New Skills in the Thresher Market
For blacksmiths in Ghana, the need for small-scale threshers is an opportunity to tap into a valuable local market. With skills gained from a Soybean Innovation Lab training, a group of blacksmiths is gaining the skills they need to not only grow their businesses, but fill an important need for farmers in their communities.
Read MoreFood Scientist’s “Homemade” Business Catalyzes Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Putting her food science studies to good use, a master’s student in Ghana has opened a successful food company that produces a more nutritious, better-packaged version of the local hibiscus drink. As a result, she has been able to pay back student loans, create local jobs and mentor other young entrepreneurs.
Read More“Miracle Tree” Helps Peace Corps Volunteers Fight Malnutrition in Ghana
In his local Ghanaian community, where many children suffer from malnutrition, Peace Corp Volunteer Joe Stein, known locally as the 'Moringa Man,’ has focused most of his service on moringa tree cultivation, helping to provide healthier futures for Ghanaian children.
Read More