Phase I of the Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration for Sustainable Economic Empowerment and Development (FMNR4SEED) has come to a successful end, with Phase II launched to assist Ghana in achieving Sustainable Development Goals 13 and 15. The success of the FMNR4SEED Phase I project, which spanned five years, includes reversing environmental degradation, enhancing food security, and empowering vulnerable communities across 41 communities in the Kassena-Nankana West District.
At a ceremony held at the Sirigu community in the Kassena-Nankana West District in the Upper East region to close phase I and launch phase II of the project, Joshua Baidoo, Strategy and Integrated Programmes Director of World Vision Ghana said one of the project’s most notable achievements was the restoration of over 1,750 hectares of degraded land in the district.
“A major transformation brought by the project was the restoration of over 1,750 hectares of degraded land through FMNR. By training and equipping 660 lead farmers, the project empowered local champions to nurture naturally occurring tree stumps and native vegetation, improving biodiversity and soil quality. The establishment of 660 fire stewards significantly reduced wildfires and protected these restored lands. These efforts directly support SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 15 (Life on Land) by addressing land degradation and supporting climate adaptation in vulnerable communities,” he stated.
The FMNR4SEED project didn’t stop at ecological restoration. It delivered real results in food security, training 990 farmers in climate-smart agriculture. Mr. Baidoo emphasized how mulching, composting, and cover cropping have led to improved yields, while 2,000 farmers received inputs to grow nutrient-rich crops like soybeans, cowpeas, and maize.
In tackling post-harvest loss—a persistent challenge—the project introduced innovative PICs Bags, helping reduce food spoilage by up to 30%. Vulnerable households, especially women-headed ones, benefited immensely. The project distributed 1,320 female goats to 660 farmers and introduced beekeeping across six communities.
Over 2,000 households adopted energy-saving stoves, reducing firewood use and easing pressure on forest resources. Mr. Baidoo pointed to these activities as pivotal in “building household resilience and diversifying income sources in the face of economic and climatic shocks.”
With an eye on the future, the FMNR4SEED initiative established ECO Clubs in 20 schools, educating more than 600 children on environmental stewardship. Simultaneously, 41 communities were supported in creating disaster risk reduction (DRR) plans in collaboration with NADMO, helping communities brace for droughts and bushfires.
Financial exclusion was tackled through the formation of 350 Savings for Transformation (SAT) groups comprising 8,000 members, most of them women. These groups collectively mobilized over GHS 3 million, empowering members to invest in businesses, education, and health, and to handle emergencies with dignity.
Looking ahead, Mr. Baidoo announced the official launch of FMNR4SEED Phase II, which is set to run from July 2025 to June 2027. Funded again by World Vision Germany, he said the next phase will directly benefit 4,000 people and indirectly impact an additional 2,000 across 20 communities.
The event was attended by local chiefs, development partners, assembly members, children, and community members who have been direct witnesses—and beneficiaries—of the project’s tangible change.
The District Chief Executive for Kassena-Nankana West, Stephen Aeke Akurugo, commended the organization and its partners for what he described as a transformative intervention that has restored degraded landscapes and improved livelihoods across local communities.
The DCE pledged that the Kassena-Nankana West District Assembly would remain fully committed to the success of phase II of the project. He called on community members to sustain the gains achieved by nurturing trees, protecting the land, and working collectively toward a greener and more prosperous district.
Beneficiary of the project, Samuel Asakia from the Mirigu-Gonu community, said that since the inception of the project in the community, they were trained and provided with working tools to prune existing tree shrubs.
“It is difficult to plant trees in this part of the country, but when we started pruning the shrubs, the area was now like a forest,” he stated.
Some institutions, such as the GNFS, NADMO, and MoFA, were honored for their contribution with the beneficiary communities working tools.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Joshua Asaah|Sirigu
