Greater Rural Opportunities for Women (GROW) in Ghana

The expected intermediate outcomes for this project include: (1) increased diverse agricultural productivity of food crops for small holder farming families, particularly women, in the Upper West of Ghana; (2) increased marketing of agricultural products by small holder farmers, particularly women, in the Upper West Region of Ghana; and (3) improved nutrition practices for small holder farming families (women, men, girls and boys) in the Upper West Region of Ghana.

Results achieved as of March 2018 include: (1) increased soy production by 104%, from 7,173.155 metric tons (MT) last year to 14,632.MT; (2) increased women’s access to land for agricultural production of soybean by 72% to 33,688.75 acres, as compared to last year’s rate of 19,595 acres; (3) 6,177 women complemented their main season production with dry-season production of high-value crops, such as tomatoes, green vegetables, okra and onions, and made between 250%-300% profit on the investments; (4) more than 98% of the women targeted by the project have adopted improved environment-friendly agricultural practices, leading to improved soil fertility and environmental conservation; (5) 13,822 women received nutrition education for healthier families; and (6) 2,991 women gained access to 13 different productivity-enhancing and time-saving technologies, with the women making an average of $363 US in profits on the use of tricycles within the first three months. The sales agents were able to access high soy prices from markets in Burkina Faso, where a 100 kg of soy is sold at $88 US compared to a previous $24-$59 US in Ghana). These results have significantly contributed to economically and socially empowering women in the Upper West region of Ghana.