To Boost Inclusion in Ghana’s Agriculture Sector, Policy LINK Builds Female Farmers’ Leadership and Business Capacities

Catherine Nyarko (standing) traveled more than 200 kilometers to attend the 2022 National Farmers’ Day awards ceremony in Koforidua, capital of Ghana’s Eastern Region (photo: Policy LINK).

Twenty years after the National Farmers' Day celebrations started, Madam Efua Frimponmaa, from Agona Nkum in the Central Region of Ghana, became the 2004 National Best Farmer and the first woman to receive the award. She etched her name in history as her daughter, Catherine Nyarko, watched. To date, Madam Frimponmaa is still the only woman to win the award. Eighteen years later, Catherine has had her moment of glory. She won the Central Region’s Best Crops Farmer award at the 2022 National Farmers’ Day.

The 60-year-old farmer, who not long ago was diagnosed with breast cancer, was thrilled to find out she was one of 20 women awardees.

"I received my first award in 2021 at the district level, and the second time I received an award was at the regional level in 2022. I am getting old, but I am determined to become the second woman, after my mother, to win the National Best Farmer award," Catherine said.

The 60-year-old farmer, who not long ago was diagnosed with breast cancer, was thrilled to find out she was one of 20 women awardees selected from the 2022 Farmers’ Day celebrations to participate in a series of training sessions to improve her knowledge and skills in leadership, personal and business development, business management, access to finance, and marketing.

The women, who include four national awardees and others from each of Ghana's 16 administrative regions, traveled far and near to participate in the training held at the Eastern Region capital, which hosted the 2022 Farmers’ Day event. About 15 of the awardees journeyed long distances, averaging over 200 miles by road, air, and across the Volta Lake. In her condition, Catherine embarked on a 133-mile (213.7km) journey, lasting over four hours by road, from Cape Coast to Koforidua.

"I recently had surgery and still recuperating, but that was not going to stop me from participating in this innovative training as part of the awards package we received in December 2022. It has never happened before, and I wanted to be part of it," Madam Nyarko said.

‘I recently had surgery and still recuperating, but that was not going to stop me from participating in this innovative training.... It has never happened before, and I wanted to be part of it.’

The National Farmers' Day, instituted in 1985, is spearheaded by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) and held on the first Friday in December each year. The Day recognizes and rewards farmers, fishers, and others in the agriculture value chain for their role in ensuring food security and sufficiency and Ghana’s economic growth. By far dominated by males, winners of the awards often participate in policy processes in Ghana’s agriculture sector.

To promote inclusion as well as strengthen and support agricultural actors as they implement evidence-based development processes, Policy LINK, among others, is helping increase the engagement of women, youth, and vulnerable groups in policymaking and implementation. The Feed the Future (FtF) program, supported by USAID/Ghana, is committed to helping women awardees at the Farmers’ Day event for the next four years as a strategy to achieve greater inclusion.

  Participants discuss a group exercise during the training (photo: Policy LINK).

Through its collaboration with MoFA and with support from the FtF Ghana Mobilizing Finance in Agriculture Activity (MFA), Absa Bank Ghana Limited, and Women's DNA Fund, Policy LINK demonstrated its commitment by organizing and funding a five-day capacity training and study tour from March 27 to 31, 2023 for Catherine and the 19 other national and regional women awardees, including the national Best Female Farmer, Madam Yaa Adjeley.

Content for the training areas aimed to address the women’s requests based on a survey to assess their capacity needs. The training facilitators covered topics such as personal initiatives to equip Catherine and her fellow women farmers to be self-starting and innovative. The leadership and policy advocacy sessions built their confidence and equipped them with the knowledge and skills to represent and champion women's interests in the agriculture policy process at the local level. They also benefitted from training in good bookkeeping practices and were exposed to the various avenues through which they can access agriculture funding, requirements they need to adhere to, and the existing help they can access to secure the financing they need.

Addressing the women and media at the closing ceremony of the training, Mr. Henry Crentsil, the Eastern Regional Director of MoFA, on behalf of Hon. Addo Yaw Frimpong, the Deputy Minister for Crops at MoFA, extended the Ministry's appreciation to USAID for undertaking this initiative through the FtF Policy LINK Activity.

He urged the women awardees to translate the experience and knowledge gained during the training into practical positive results that will transform their businesses and cause others to learn from them.

Participants take part in an energizer during the training session (photo: Policy LINK).

"Having risen to the level of the best national and regional farmers, and as the first cohort of this training, you have the platform to contribute to the growth of the agriculture sector meaningfully, and I believe that through our collective efforts, we can eradicate hunger and develop a resilient, sustainable food system," Mr. Crentsil said. He later presented a certificate to each awardee for successfully completing the training.

Yunus Abdulai, Policy LINK Country Lead, said, "You all are formidable women leaders who can represent your fellow women working in agriculture to ensure that your voices are heard, included in the consultations, and enjoy opportunities for collaboration. This will help our country's agriculture sector to flourish and benefit us all."

He expressed Policy LINK's readiness to collaborate, adding, "this training is not the end of our relationship with you. From now till the end of the year, we will check on you periodically to see how things are going. Also, during key meetings with agriculture stakeholders, we will invite you to participate so you can contribute to the discussions and be part of the solutions to improving the sector."

‘My mother has been my motivation since I started farming, and I really want to achieve what she accomplished in her active years as a farmer. Although I have no formal education, this training has taught me that it should not be a barrier to my goal of achieving more and getting a seat at the decision-making table.’

Madam Ernestina Osei Tutu, the 2022 Eastern Region Best Female Farmer and the interim lead organizer for the 20 women awardees, announced that with their newly acquired knowledge and the exposure to opportunities available to them to engage, the women are organizing themselves into an association.  Through this group, they intend to share ideas and actively take part in agriculture policy processes and champion the interests of women and other vulnerable groups.

A day after the training, the women embarked on a study tour to Sahmen Coconut Resort, a leading agribusiness in the Eastern region, to learn best practices and how to incorporate them into their operations.

For Catherine Nyarko, spending a week with her women colleagues has been worthwhile. "My mother has been my motivation since I started farming, and I really want to achieve what she accomplished in her active years as a farmer. Although I have no formal education, this training has taught me that it should not be a barrier to my goal of achieving more and getting a seat at the decision-making table. I am leaving here more confident than I came," she added.

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