Majority of farmland in sub-Saharan Africa is managed
by smallholder farmers. They are such important players in the food and
agriculture sector, producing majority of the food consumed by urban and rural
dwellers, yet they are faced with a myriad of challenges. Challenges that have
been there since I was introduced to Agriculture Science in Primary School.
Challenges that affects
their well-being and livelihoods. Out of the 2.5 billion people in poor
countries living directly from the food and agriculture sector, 1.5 billion
people live in smallholder households. Many of those households are extremely
poor.
Women are not left out as
they comprise an average of 50 percent of the agricultural labour force in sub-Saharan
Africa.
Smallholder farmers when
empowered hold the key to meeting sustainable development goals (SDGs) one and
two with overarching effects on the 15 other SDGs. For instance, women farmers
when given the same access to productive resources as men could increase their
farm yields by 20 -30 percent. Women are drivers of change towards sustainable
production systems and healthier diets for households.
Smallholder
farmers matter for sustainability as properly managed smallholder systems
invest in building soil biomass and soil vegetative cover which improves water
filtration for flood and retention in case of droughts. With reduced usage of
fossil fuel, smallholder traditional practices also mitigate climate change
through reduced emissions and enhanced soil carbon sequestration.
The
fourth industrial revolution is upon us and leveraging on these technological
advancements to provide solutions for smallholder farmers will ensure economic,
environmental and social development.
At Locagro, we believe
that providing solutions from farm to fork is very important to our food
production system. Locagro is a Ghanaian based
enterprise created in 2017 with a focus on empowering smallholder farmers with
innovative farming solutions to increase their productivity and reduce the
negative environmental impact of their farming activities.
Locagro integrates agriculture, technology and
finance to provide solutions to three major problems facing smallholder
farmers: access to market, access to capital and lack of knowledge in smart
farming techniques.
Locagro offers farmers the opportunity of a ready
market even before harvest through planning of the entire production cycle,
providing information to farmers, new agribusinesses (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3q0l4YQmyePV-YqZ2lIo1w/videos) and capacity building in
microdosing which is a strategy to replenish nutrients in the soil
through precise application of in small doses. Through Nocofio (www.nocofio.com),
Locagro provides an access to financial services by crowdfunding for
smallholder agribusinesses.
Locagro has
its operation base in Nsawam, Ghana. We believe policy makers should develop
national agriculture plans devoid of political agenda to scale-up support to
sustainable smallholder farmers, develop their entrepreneurial capacities and
create viable livelihoods in the rural areas, with a special focus on women and
youth.
Akwasi A. Tagoe
akwasi@nocofio.com
"THE BEST CULTURE IS AGRICULTURE"
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