farmers, not gardeners: urban and peri-urban agriculture in la, accra
DESCRIPTION
This report provides an understanding andinsight into the processes behind thereduction of land for UPA and the reasonswhy this has occurred, using La, located inEastern Accra, as a case study. La has beensubject to a diverse and complex process ofrapid urban development over the lastdecade, which is reducing available land foragriculture. This process is likely to beirreversible and result in the completedisappearance of agricultural land in thenear future.La serves as an entry point to understandingissues dealing with land, planning, ValueChain and collective action (CA) related toUPA and those involved in the practice.TRANSCRIPT
1
FARMERS, NOTGARDENERS:URBAN & PERI-URBAN AGRICULTURE IN LA,ACCRA
By the La Group 2011: Rosalind Bacon, Florent Charrasse, KatieFrancis, Jessica Gulhane, Nazli Ece Isbasaran, Rozina Kanchwala, Daljeet Kaur,Rodrigo Matabuena,Weiwei Sun.
2
Contents
Abbreviations 3
Acknowledgements 5
Executive Summary 6
List of Diagrams, Maps &Tables 7
1.0 Introduction 9
1.1 Background 9
2.0 Theoretical Framework 13
2.1 Definition of SUPA 14
3.0 Research Questions & Hypotheses 17
4.0 Research Methodologies 20
4.1 Limitations 21
5.0 Results & Analysis 23
5.1 Land & Planning 23
5.2 Value Chain 29
5.3 Collective Action 32
6.0 Strategies 37
6.1 Land & Planning 37
6.2 Value Chain 39
6.3 Collective Action 43
6.4 A Place for UPA in the Millenium City 46
7.0 Monitoring & Evaluating 48
7.1 Land & Planning 48
7.2 Value Chain 49
7.3 Collective Action 49
7.4 A Place for UPA in the Millenium City 51
8.0 Conclusions 53
8.1 Conclusions & Lessons Learnt 53
8.2 Further Research 54
Bibliography 56
Appendices
3
Abbreviations
AMA Accra Metropolitan Assembly
AWGUPA Accra Working Group on Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture
CA Collective Action
CICOL The Civil Society Coalition on Land
DPU Development Planning Unit
EDDT East Dadekopoton Development Trust
EPA Environmental Protection Agency
FA Farmers’ Association
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
FEDUP Federation of the Urban Poor
FDI Foreign Direct Investment
FS Food Sovereignty
GAMA Greater Accra Metropolitan Area
GHAFEDUP Ghana Federation of the Urban Poor
GIDA Ghana Irrigation Development Authority
GIS Geographic Information Systems
GPS Geographical Positioning System
LC Land Commission
LAP Land Administration Project
LIS Land Information Systems
IFPRI International Food Policy Research Institute
IWMI International Water Management Institute
MDG Millennium Development Goals
MoFA Ministry of Food and Agriculture
MPC Municipal Planning Committee
NDPC National Development Planning Commission
NGO Non Governmental Organisation
NLP National Land Policy
PD People’s Dialogue
PE Political Ecology
RUAF Resource Centres on Urban Agriculture & Food Security
SAPs Structural Adjustment Programmes
SD Survey Department
SDI Shack and Slum Dwellers International
4
SUPA Sustainable Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture
TCP Town and Country Planning
ToR Terms of Reference
UA Urban Agriculture
UCL University College London
UoG University of Ghana
UPA Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture
5
Acknowledgements
This study would not have been possible
without the continued support and
involvement from the farmers of La,
especially Emmanuel Mensah, Enoch
Mensah and Elizabeth Mensah. Thank you
all.
We thank Ashie Neequaye, from MoFA, for
his outstanding facilitation and translation
throughout our research. We acknowledge
and thank all those people and
organisations that contributed to this
research, including the representatives of
the various stakeholders who engaged,
discussed and provided valuable insight into
the intricacies of UPA in Accra.
Thanks also go to Adriana Allen our
supervisor, for her inspiration and continued
support. Further thanks extend to our
Development Planning Unit (DPU) staff
notably Alexandre Apsan Frediani, Etienne
Von Bertrab and Pascale Hofmann.
Finally gratitude and appreciation goes to
members of the 2010 La study group who
were extremely generous with their time and
advice, allowing us to continue their
research.
6
Executive Summary
Accra, the capital of Ghana, has undergone
rapid and significant changes in the past few
decades. Powerful economic and political
forces, including liberalisation reforms,
remittances from abroad and the recent
discovery of oil, have caused the real estate
sector to boom, placing a high demand on
agricultural land for other uses.
Another recent factor influencing Accra is its
declaration as a Millennium City by the Earth
Institute at Columbia University in an effort
to help it achieve the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs). Despite the
existence of an MDG with a focus on
environmental sustainability, the initiative
stipulates that Urban and Peri-Urban
Agriculture (UPA) will be pushed to the
periphery of the city. All of these factors are
leading to the gradual phasing out of urban
agricultural sites in Accra.
Along with these current driving forces, land
in Accra has been contested for generations.
The various customary land owning
systems, the lack of updated urban and
spatial planning and poor coordination
between planning departments has resulted
in a situation where market forces have
overtaken the land-use planning agenda in
favour of real estate development over
agriculture.
This report provides an understanding and
insight into the processes behind the
reduction of land for UPA and the reasons
why this has occurred, using La, located in
Eastern Accra, as a case study. La has been
subject to a diverse and complex process of
rapid urban development over the last
decade, which is reducing available land for
agriculture. This process is likely to be
irreversible and result in the complete
disappearance of agricultural land in the
near future.
La serves as an entry point to understanding
issues dealing with land, planning, Value
Chain and collective action (CA) related to
UPA and those involved in the practice.
In addition, both long and short term
strategies are proposed in order to address
the challenges described above. Some
strategies may be applied to farmers and
city authorities specific to La, but the
overriding aim of the strategies is to prevent
the situation of La from occurring in other
UPA sites across Accra and to encourage
UPA to be a viable and prominent feature of
the Millennium City, other cities in Ghana
and worldwide.
Since UPA is highly valuable for a city’s
sustainability, generating economic
livelihoods and environmental goals, it must
remain a priority for planners and developers
who must engage and hear the voices of
usually marginalised farmers and members
of the value chain. It is our hope that this
report highlights the necessity and urgency
of advocating for UPA in Accra and globally.
7
List of Diagrams, Maps &Tables
Map 1: Geographical situation...................................................................................................11
Map 2: EDDT Master Plan for La ..............................................................................................11
Table 1: Six Pillars of Food Sovereignty....................................................................................13
Diagram 1: Criteria for evaluating SUPA ...................................................................................15
Table 2: Methods ......................................................................................................................20
Diagram 2: Land Ownership......................................................................................................24
Map 3: Change in urban development since 2010 ....................................................................25
Map 4: Decrease in agricultural land since 2010.......................................................................25
Map 5: Four drivers of change ..................................................................................................26
Map 6: Land ownership and comparative land value.................................................................26
Map 7: Gender distribution of farmers .......................................................................................28
Map 8: Level of vulnerability and gender distribution.................................................................28
Diagram 3: Value Chain Flows..................................................................................................30
Diagram 4: Value Chain analysis, La ........................................................................................30
Diagram 5: Value Chain analysis, using the example of Okra ...................................................31
Table 3: Current and future scope for collective action in La .....................................................32
Table 4: How to set up as a MoFA cooperative .........................................................................33
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1.0INTRODUCTION
9
1.0 Introduction
Accra is being influenced and shaped by
global market forces that are slowly pushing
out UPA. Many agricultural sites are under
constant threat of disappearing, often due to
rapid development. Decision-making and
planning processes that have allowed these
sites to be zoned for development have
excluded the voices of farmers, who are
either being forced to work on marginalised
lands, or abandon farming altogether. This
report summarises the research undertaken
by students in 2011 using land in La,
located in Eastern Accra (See Map 1), as a
case study to understand:
The conditions/threats and
actual/potential benefits from UPA as
perceived by various stakeholders
The main improvements in the
development of UPA in La and the
lessons learnt from it
What strategic interventions could be
recommended to promote sustainable
UPA (SUPA) in La and more widely, in
other urban areas
The research was conducted in La to better
understand the issues related to land,
planning, value-chain and Collective Action
(CA) that go beyond the site. Thus, the
strategies that are put forth apply to farmers
and city authorities in La, in addition to other
agricultural sites of Accra and cities in
Ghana and globally.
Map 1: Geographical situation of La
1.1 Background
Global economic trends, such as
liberalisation policies, the modernisation of
agricultural practices, and the recent
‘Millennium Cities Initiative’ can partly
explain why in places such as Accra, UPA is
being phased out.
Liberalisation policies, which opened the
door for the increased presence of foreign
companies in Ghana, have largely shaped
the way in which Accra has grown and
developed. In many cases, this has had a
negative impact, in the form of increasing
poverty and inequality through a widening
gap of resource distribution. This has had a
knock-on effect on food security for those
becoming relatively poorer. A survey
conducted by the Ghana Living Standards
Survey indicated that household poverty
10
had increased during the period of
liberalisation in the late 1980s to early
1990s (Grant & Yankson 2003).
The Structural Adjustment Programmes
(SAPs) of the liberalisation period had a
large impact on the housing market in Accra
that continues to today. This has led to a
financially powerful and growing expatriate
community, as well as an emerging middle
class, which has intensified pressure on
housing and land for UPA. Foreign currency
transactions and remittances have led to
new gated community housing
developments for resident and non-resident
Ghanaians. These trends have led to the
continual decrease in rights to the city for
certain groups of society.
In addition to liberalisation policies, the
‘Green Revolution’ thinking advocated for
the movement towards modern agricultural
practices globally, which are high-tech,
large-scale, chemically heavy, energy
intensive, largely unsustainable, and often
on the periphery of cities. They are being
promoted by many Multinational
Corporations (MNCs) and governments who
follow ‘Green Revolution’ thinking and
believe that only this type of agriculture can
meet increasing food demands.
Alongside the declaration of Accra as a
Millennium City in 2010 came a large push
for citywide economic growth. The
Millennium Cities project is a vision of the
UN and the Earth Institute at Columbia
University and is meant to assist cities in
achieving the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs) (Earth Institute, “Millennium
Cities Initiative”). However, in this vision
there is no provision for UPA within formal
plans or strategies.
Global trends have intensified land-use
pressures and contributed to poverty.
However, certain factors within Ghana are
also to blame. Nationally, there is weak
land-use and spatial urban planning. This is
partly due to the fact that only 20% of land
is controlled by the government and the rest
by customary land owners. This has led to
market forces becoming increasingly
prominent in determining land-use as
traditional authorities have sought to sell the
land to these market forces in exchange for
high economic returns.
La, once the largest and most prosperous
urban agriculture site within the Accra
Metropolitan Area (AMA) (DPU ‘Terms of
Reference’ 2011) demonstrates these
trends. Here, forces have ultimately been
phasing out any scope for UPA and have
instead focused on increasing profitability of
the land through real-estate developments,
especially over the past decade.
Within La, ownership and land-use are the
primary concerns of securing agriculture.
Within and among the complex customary
and statutory land systems, there exist
contentions over land ownership and land-
use. The East Dadekotopon Trust (EDDT)
was created to settle the disputes between
the land owning families in La (See Map 2).
However, land development and planning
disputes remain poorly managed as the
EDDT and other individual families focused
on increasing market profitability.
11
Based on previous years’ research, a
number of impacts caused by developments
encroaching on land that has traditionally
been used for agriculture in La were noted:
The number of farmers has decreased
Urban agriculture and farmers have been
pushed to marginalised lands
Women are often affected more in the
process of moving to marginalised lands
because of the labour required in the
process
The uncertainty of land-use has led to
younger generations not partaking in
farming resulting in farmers hiring migrant
labourers
The uncertainty of the land situation also
leaves almost no scope for sustainable
farming practices as farmers are concerned
only with whether they will have access to
the land to continue farming
The Farmers Association (FA) which exists
in La has been weakened in recent years
due to the reduced number of farmers
because of the developments occurring
The land under cultivation in La has
drastically decreased and as result, the
number of farmers has also reduced
The phasing out of UPA not only impacts a
large number of people’s livelihoods, but
also reduces the likelihood that Accra can
be a self-sufficient, resilient or sustainable
city that ensures food sovereignty for its
people.
Map 2: EDDT Master Plan for La
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2.0CONCEPTUALFRAMEWORK
2.0THEORETICAL
FRAMEWORK
13
2.0 Theoretical
Framework
The combined frameworks of food
sovereignty and Political Ecology (PE) will
be used as the lens through which to frame
the research. Food sovereignty defends the
right for people, communities and countries
to determine context-appropriate agricultural
policies and systems and produce local food
for domestic consumption, thus reducing
dependence on cheap food imports or
foreign aid. It fights against large-scale,
industrialised corporate agriculture that
focuses on specialised production, trade
liberalisation and land concentration.
PE recognises that this is not independent
of political, social, economic, historical,
cultural and environmental forces, and
addresses the power relations between and
among actors at work in the food system.PE
focuses in particular on the extensive
dispossession of small producers and global
ecological degradation. (Robbins, 2004;
Escobar, 1995)
Together, these frameworks are used to
examine the political and social power
relations that govern the right to the city and
the socioeconomic opportunities for, and
obstacles limiting UPA. The combined
frameworks have adapted the six pillars of
food sovereignty as developed by Nyéléni
(2007).
Table 1: Six Pillars of Food Sovereignty
Six Pillars of Food Sovereignty
Food for Everyone - The right to access sufficient, affordable, healthy and culturally
appropriate food from accessible markets.
Values Food Providers - Supports the right for all to grow, process and sell food with
access to land, resources, inputs and infrastructure that is safe, of adequate quantity
and accessibly located location.
Localises Food Systems - Places local providers and consumers closer together and
at the centre of decision-making, reducing dependency on large and unaccountable
corporations, financial institutions and governments.
Puts Control Locally over land, water, resources and inputs to ensure they are used in
socially and environmentally sustainable ways and rejects the privatisation of ‘natural
resources’.
Builds Knowledge and Skills that conserve, develop and manage localised food
production systems, passing these on to future generations
Works with Nature with food production aiming to be low-input, efficient, diverse and
closed-cycle, using methods that complement ecosystem function to increase
resilience and lead to long-term productivity and enhanced ecological conditions.
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2.1 Definition of
SUPA
The above framework of food sovereignty
and political ecology allows us to create a
definition of sustainable urban and peri-
urban agriculture (SUPA).
SUPA is based on the right for local people
to provide and consume nutritious, safe,
affordable and real-value food, enabled
through access to and control over secure,
safe, productive, accessible, affordable and
local land, inputs, infrastructure and
markets. Traditional local knowledge that
works with the natural biological system
should be utilised, to ensure a closed-loop
system, enhancement of the natural
environment and long-term productivity for
current and future generations.
This should be recognised at all levels of
governance and planning, and within both
statutory and customary legal systems,
giving power to local (specifically
marginalised) providers and consumers to
meaningfully participate in and influence the
decision making processes. These
conditions should provide a secure and
profitable livelihood for local providers and
consumers, in particular empowering
marginalised groups such as women and
the poor.
15
Criteria for evaluating SUPA:
Diagram 1: Criteria for evaluating SUPA
16
4.0RESEARCHQUESTIONS &HYPOTHESES
3.0RESEARCH
QUESTIONS &
HYPOTHESES
3.0 Research Questions & Hypotheses
Hypothesis 1
Agricultural land in La has reduced even further from last year.
As a result the number of farmers in La has reduced, with some being forced
to farm on more marginalised land.
Some farmers, particularly women, are being forced to look for alternative
livelihoods
This is due to: The lack of profitability of land for farming compared to real estate
developments.
The EDDT’s inconsistencies between their Master Plan, which does not
recognise UPA, and their stated goals for UPA.
Certain stakeholders having little power or influence to change the situation
The weakness of the FA.
Question 1Since 2010, to what extent has the agricultural land physically
changed and what are the processes behind these?
How do the administrative and planning processes influence land use
changes?
How do the different power relations impact on land development conflicts?
17
Hypothesis 2
Farmers have restricted power/knowledge/control over the majority of the
value chain, in particular the latter stages (transportation and marketing),
partially due to lack of accounting.
There are few incentives to collaborate with different actors in the value chain
due to the current socio-political situation.
Due to shifting and diminishing agricultural land, the inputs required by
farmers are becoming increasingly costly, reducing their profit margin.
Question 2What are the potentials/constraints throughout the value chain thatprevent or promote the stability of urban agriculture as a livelihoodand profitable economic activity?
Hypothesis 3:
Collective action (CA) between farmers has weakened over the past year and with
reduced power in the decision-making sphere.
This is due to
A lack of recognition.
The creation of the splinter group from Klandjii-Argon.
Younger generations seeking alternative livelihoods beyond farming.
Few incentives to act collectively.
A general reduction in the number of farmers.
There are informal, social networks of CA between farmers, but they do not
operate at a scale large enough, and/or efficiently enough to influence change
or to improve the situation for farmers.
People act individually, because in the context of uncertainty, they don’t
perceive any incentives/benefits to act collectively.
Question 3What scope is there for collective action among providers to
influence decision-making/planning processes, improve access to
resources and build resilience to withstand shocks?
18
19
3.0METHODOLOGY& LIMITATIONS
4.0METHODOLOGY &
LIMITATIONS
20
4.0 Research
Methodologies
The research comprises of three distinct
stages of data collection and processing
over 5 months. The initial stage involved a
literature review of academic papers,
International Water
Management Institute (IWMI) and Resource
Centres on Urban Agriculture & Food
Security (RUAF) reports, internet research
on Ghana and previous year’s research.
This was complemented by academic
lectures on the context of the study area.
See table 2 for methods used and
appendices for specific interview questions.
Table 2: Methods
21
4.1 Limitations
Some general constraints may be identified
such as time restrictions, language barriers
and weather challenges. Additionally, the
large physical area of the site meant the
group had to stick closely to a detailed daily
fieldwork plan. The poor spatial proximity of
farmers across La made it challenging to
ensure every strategy was tested with all
the farmers.
The GPS mapping and transect walk used
provided an accurate account of urban
development and current farming areas.
However, difficulties arose in comparing this
year’s data collection to last year’s due to
different sources and devices used.
The maps used for participatory mapping,
were not at a large enough scale for farmers
to accurately plot their sites. Furthermore,
as participatory mapping relies on
subjective knowledge it might not be fully
representative as some farmers were more
outspoken, whilst some could not express
themselves spatially in terms of maps.
Language barriers and accurate
understanding between researchers and
subjects also affected our data collection as
some details were misinterpreted on both
sides of the research.
22
5.0RESULTS ANDANALYSIS
23
5.1 Land & Planning
Current agricultural land in La is
rapidly disappearing. This is caused by
several factors – one of which is the
complex land ownership system.
Diagram 1 outlines the land-ownership
structure, which is divided between
customary and statutory ownership1.
Research conducted across multiple
levels of stakeholders and
1It is estimated that approximately 80% of the
land across Ghana is under Customaryownership and control, with the remaining 20%of land classified as Statutory land. TheStatutory land was once Customary ownedland and was acquired by the Governmentduring the latter half of the past century duringthe era of Independence (Abiyeva et al 2010)
organisations indicates that power and
control over land ownership and use
within La and across Ghana is
predominantly concentrated within
Customary land ownership, beyond
the enforcement mechanisms and
control of the Town and Country
Planning (TCP).
Development often occurs before
planning in Accra due several factors:
poor communication between different
departments such as the Survey
Department (SD), Lands Commission
(LC) and TCP, out-dated land-use
planning and development systems
and a weak land monitoring and
enforcement system. Preservation of
passive green spaces for UPA is not a
priority at the political and public policy
Diagram 2: Land ownership structure in La
Research Question 1:
Since 2010, to what extent has the agricultural land physically changed?
• How do the administrative and planning processes influence land use
changes?
• How do the different power relations impact on land development
conflicts?
24
level, or at local levels of planning and
development, due to a focus on
economic gains from increased
international investments induced by
globalisation. Powerful private
landowners and institutions advocate
for a ‘modern’ Accra and a
development path where the financial
profitability of urbanisation is valued
more than UPA.
Changes in Land Since
2010
Key findings of land use changes
since 2010:
1. 43% of the study area has been
developed for residential purposes
and the rest is planned for further
development.
2. Urban development in La has
increased from 2.6 km2 to 4.95 km2
i.e. around a 47% increase of urban
growth. (See Map 1).
3. Agricultural land at present is 2.29
km2 which has reduced by
approximately 55% (See Map 2)
4. There has been a divide in the La
area, with Northern areas (Kpeletso
and the northern part of Obediben)
becoming a new district requiring a
different MoFA extension officer
Map2010
3: Change in Urban Development since
Map 4: Decrease in Agricultural Land since2010The Four Drivers of
Land-Use Change
Urban development in La is found to
be occurring at various scales and
rates, with diverse purposes and
common economic motives unifying
the drivers behind land use changes.
The four main drivers of this are
identified (see Map 5) as:
Military land (Burma Camp)
International/National large-scale
developers
The EDDT
Individual families
These forces are resulting in different
values for land (see Map 6).
Map 6: Land Ownership and
Map 5: Four Drivers of Change25
Comparative Land Values
26
These drivers are ‘urbanising’ green
spaces, minimising land available for
UPA and therefore reducing farmers’
capacity to maintain their livelihoods2.
1) The Military and the EDDT have
increased accessibility to the land
through the development of road
infrastructure. From meeting with
the EDDT, it is clear that a ‘Green
Belt’ does not exist. Despite some
land to the Western Sowatey-
Nmonaa cluster area left
reserved for open ‘green space,’
this can be changed with ease
due to weak enforcement and
bureaucratic processes
surrounding ‘re-zoning’
procedures.
2) International developer Finali Ltd
secured land in 2008 in Kpeletso,
building on over 400 acres of land
a large-scale ‘luxury housing’
compound, Airport Hills, and
significantly reducing agricultural
land previously there.
Last year’s report indicated that
areas in the north were more
secure for farming; however
research this year indicated that
this is not likely anymore due to
these planned developments.
3) The EDDT’s plan for a mini-gated
housing community for
approximately 180,000 people is
currently being developed through
discussions with the TCP and an
2Manipulation of farming resources through
processes such as road building and ‘sandwinning’ (the removal of topsoil by developersfor sand cement makes land infertile) whichpredominantly takes place in the Northernareas of La
international developer. Financial
backing remains unsecured but
the EDDT are in dialogue with
Chinese developers.
4) Although individual families are
not the legal owners of the land
plots, they engage in unauthorised
transactions because they often
have settled there for generations.
Individual families exert their
power through legal loopholes and
cultural agreements.
Both the eviction and urbanisation
processes are mutually re-enforced as
farmers are resigned to the powerful
forces controlling land.
2011 research has also revealed that
a number of farmers are being used
opportunistically by developers and
individual families to be ‘caretakers’ of
the plots, working the land until it is
developed. For example, many
farmers in the south (Mongonno and
Sowatey Nmonaa) are taking up
construction jobs as a source of
alternative income.
Gender divides are clearly shown
through the participatory mapping
exercises (see map 5). Men have
moved from Sowatey Nmonaa,
Mongonno and Tseado to the North
(Kpeletso and Obediben). Unlike men,
women cannot relocate easily, as input
acquisition and land preparation is too
physically demanding for women in
marginal areas. Women have moved
instead from Tseado and Mongonno to
Kordojor and Sowatey Nmonaa,
nearer to water streams not too far
from where they live. These areas are
more vulnerable to faster urban
development (see Map 8). Single
27
female farmers were found to be the
most vulnerable, due to their lack of
support from husbands for when they
are selling and moving to more
marginalised lands. Additionally,
female farmers also stressed that
seeking alternative livelihoods was not
a viable option.
Map 7: Gender distribution of farmers
28
Administration Findings
Land Administration Project (LAP) was
initiated by the Ministry of Lands and
Natural Resources to tackle the
problems in the functioning of land
administration and planning, such as
those described above. In phase 1 of
the project, a digitalised database was
proposed to be established to join
information regarding land tenure. As it
is entering phase 2 of its
implementation, a digital system to
combine maps and spatial data is in
progress in order to ease access to
spatial information service.
Map 8: Level of vulnerability & gender distribution
29
5.2 Value Chain
An analysis of Value Chain of urban
agriculture provides a good understanding
of the power relations and repartition of
earnings and benefits among actors
participating in the production, distribution
and sales of agricultural products. This
approach is taken in order to enhance
farmers’ capacities to increase livelihoods
and negotiating power.
Understanding the Value Chain: The Case of La
An analysis of the Value Chain provides a
good understanding of the power relations
and allocation of earnings and profits
among actors participating in the
production, distribution and sales of
agricultural products. Value Chain analysis
looks at the complex range of activities
implemented by various actors (linking input
suppliers to market sellers) to bring
agricultural products to the final consumer.
Agricultural products flow down the Value
Chain and money flows up. Each actor
performs specific functions incurring
expenses and gaining income, thereby
adding “value” to the product (See Diagram
3)
In the case of La, the linkages between
farmers (producers) and consumers are
shortened due to the location of agricultural
land requiring shorter transportation
distances and also because products are
not processed or packaged and middle men
are not necessary for taking produce to
markets (Diagram 4).
Research Question 2:
• What are the potentials/constraints throughout the value chain that prevent or
promote the stability of urban agriculture as a livelihood and profitable
economic activity?
Diagram 3: Value Chain Flows
Source: RUAF, 2009
Diagram 4: Value Chain analysis, La
Situation 1: Farmers sell agricultural prod
provide different markets sellers within Accra Met
Situation 2: Farmers sell directly to market
Situation 3: Farmers sell products direc
situation).
FARMERS RETAILERS MARKET
SELLERSFINAL
CONSUMERS
1
I
Can advance to the farmers for covering the expense of inputs
uce to retailers, which
ropolitan Area (Most c
s sellers (e.g., market’s
tly on the farm to f
III
I30
take care of the transport and
ommon situation).
Queen).
inal consumers (Less common
Selling Okra is used in Diagram 5 to illustrate the unequal distribution of costs and profits.
Diagram 5: Value Chain analysis, using the example of Okra
Th
far
pro
ret
ma
are
cha
be
req
the
ins
wit
pro
pe
Mo
sub
dependence on MNCs and ultimately
reinforces the inherent power structures
FARMERS RETAILERS MARKET
SELLERSFINAL
CONSUMERS
Selling price:
20 pesewas
Production costs
(inputs + labour): 80%
Profit Margin:
20% - 4 pesewas
e value chain example
mers are marginalised
cess along with othe
ailers and market sell
rgins are similar. In
less likely to move t
in and boost thei
cause of the increasing
uirements this entails
struggles over land t
titutional support). Pow
h other actors such
vide farmers with ch
sticides and hybrid s
FA who provides te
sidies. This proce
Buying price:
20 pesewas
Selling price:
28 pesewas
Margin:
28% - 8 pesewas
demonstrates that
in the value-chain
r actors, including
ers, as their profit
particular, farmers
hrough the value-
r profit margins
risks and financial
(particularly with
enure and lack of
er, therefore, lies
as MNCs who
emical fertilisers,
eeds, as well as
mporary financial
ss leads to a
Buying price:
28 pesewas
Selling price:
35 pesewas
Margin:
20% - 7 pesewas
Buying price
7 Okra: 35 pesewas
Selling of:
7 Okra
pesewas
31
5.3 Collective Action
M
l
c
o
m
i
(
d
o
a
C
T
Research Question 3:
What scope is there for collective action among providers to influence
decision-making/planning processes, improve access to resources and build
resilience to withstand shocks?
32
any studies have recognised both the
ong and short-term benefits of acting
ollectively to solve a particular
utcome, as opposed to rational choice
odels which believe people only act
ndividually for short-term gains
Ostrom, 2004). Empowerment is often
escribed as one of the major benefits
f CA, in addition to collective identity
nd emotional support (De Volo, 2006).
A could therefore be seen as an
effective way for farmers to overcome
the unequal power relations present in
Accra and to mobilise to reach a
collective goal of fighting for UPA to
remain in the city.
There are a number of factors which act
in the La farmers’ favour in terms of their
capacity to act collectively, such as
those described in Table 3.
Examples of current CA Scope for CA
Sharing water pumps if they are near water Easily identifiable group
Sharing land with friends when they are evicted Differentiated from other social groups
Sharing vehicles to take their products to market Strong informal social networks
Similar ideology
Same cultural identity- all Ga
Strong CA through the La FA in the past
able 3: Current and future scope for collective action in La
However, through focus groups and
interviews, and the triangulation of data, it
was noted that while farmers in La do act
collectively in a number of ways, the current
strength of and scope for social mobilisation
and collective action is weak. There are
currently two main factors challenging the
capacity for strong social mobilisation in La,
and Accra reinforcing unequal power
dynamics.
1) External conditions leading to a lack of
institutional recognition of informal social
networks through the La FA and invisibility
of the farmers and UPA
2) Internal conditions leading to a lack of
organised collective action among the
farmers themselves.
1) Farmers are invisible and unrecognised
by institutional bodies
MoFA
Every FA in Accra has a MoFA extension
officer, which is an incredibly valuable link
between farmers and institutions.
However, MoFA does not have the capacity
to hear the farmers concerns; as it only
meets annually to hear critical issues from
the extension officers. MoFA also seem to
be resigned to the fact that farmers will have
to seek alternative livelihoods, suggested by
their livelihood unit, especially for women.
MoFA does not seem willing to help farmers
raise their voice around land issues, and are
not able to protect the small-scale famers
falling through the gaps when moving into
large scale agriculture.
In addition, MoFA is currently insisting that
farming groups set themselves up as
cooperatives. This involves a number of
strict steps and guidelines (see Table 4)
which once followed mean MoFA will
support farmers in a greater capacity. MoFA
provides a number of incentives for groups
to set up like this, including subsidised
machinery for processing sold to farmer
groups.
Table 4: How to set up as a MoFAcooperative
However w
cooperative
groups and
unaware
themselves
that the re
for them i
Additionally
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
Register with either the
cooperative department, MOFA
or registrar department
Meet regularly and keep
records
Open an operational bank
account
Have a group project apart
from just a Value Chain
enterprise
Pay dues which the group
decides on
Create a constitution to guide
them; written by the famers
33
hen discussing the benefit of
s with the La Farmers in focus
interviews , not only were they
that they needed to organise
like this but they also stipulated
quirements were not appropriate
n terms of time and resources.
the incentives were not enough
34
or indeed appropriate when the farmers’
priority is to secure land, not allowing the
farmers to set themselves up like this since
there exists a constant threat of eviction.
Indeed, in an interview with a MoFA
representative, it was clear that the creation
of cooperatives was a way to make the job
of MoFA employees easier and in order to
increase time and resource efficiency.
Despite these difficulties with farmers in the
South district, farmers in the new northern
district have said they will be setting up a
cooperative there.
EDDT
Despite being from the same stool, as
discussed above the EDDT is selling
agricultural land because housing is more
lucrative. In an interview with members of
the EDDT they did not recognise the right
for individuals to farm on the land as in their
eyes farmers do not own the land or pay
anything for it either.
Chief and Council of Elders
During a meeting with the Chief and the
Council of Elders, it was established that
they also render the farmers invisible due to
their consideration that it is gardening not
farming (a hobby, not a livelihood) and
again a want to sell the land for more
profitable gains. They also felt that in line
with modern ideals, agriculture should be
more mechanised and large-scale, following
that from the Green Revolution, and did not
value the products that the La farmers were
producing, or indeed really know what they
produce.
`Unit Committees
The new decentralised government was set
up to be more participatory, involving local
people in decision making. However in an
interview with the La Sub-Metro it was
established that there is neither the capacity
to deal with land issues faced by La
Farmers, nor the ability to help them
become more involved in decision-making,
due to time, resources and a lack of power.
2) The current power of collective action is
weak
In addition to a lack of institutional
recognition, the current power of the La FA
is being eroded by structural conditions
lessening the power of farmers to create
change and fully and meaningfully
participate in decision making to fight
encroachments, debate relocations and
secure tenure. The power of the La FA is
weak for a number of reasons:
A general reduction in the number of
farmers due to a reduction in
agricultural land and some farmers
leaving farming for economic gains
No chairman/ strong leader
No clear goal of the FA other than to
fight evictions and push for a
greenbelt which some farmers don’t
think will happen and therefore don’t
see the benefit of membership
Farmers feel powerless after hitting
countless barriers in traditional
structures and authorities such as
those described above
35
A lack of trust as some farmers have
done economic deals for
compensation
The new divide in the La region
means some farmers in the old La
FA are joining a new cooperative
being set up in Airport Hills
A perceived high risk within farmers
to act collectively and create a
savings group
Not meeting regularly (many farmers
noted that the La FA met every
Tuesday when in fact the last time
they had met was 2 years ago)
The diversity of agents proving to be
very divisive and addressing farmers
individually and making it seem to be
better off to do individual negotiation
While the fact that all the farmers are
Ga does hold them in good stead for
CA, it also means they are only
fighting for their right to farm the land
that they believe is theirs, rather
than recognising the other benefits
of them being there, or UPA in
general
As agricultural land becomes less
and less concentrated, the capacity
to facilitate contact for collective
action also reduces. By being locked
in to their own plots farmers have a
much lower possibility of reaching
out
The La 2010 report discovered the
formation of a splinter group in
Klandjil-Argon, apparently divided
from the La FA due to individual
motivations to secure compensation
rather than collective group
resistance to fight for the right to
farm. No information could be found
on the group this year however,
indicating perhaps that these
farmers have received
compensation and/or ceased
farming.
Furthermore there are very weak social
networks between La farmers and other
farming groups across Accra meaning there
are a number of groups working in isolation
from each other with little power to make
their voices heard.
As a result of all of the above factors, the
right to farm in the city is being furthereroded and the function of growing food
threatened.
36
6.0STRATEGIES ANDMONITORINGINDICATORS
6.0STRATEGIES
6.0 Strategies
The following section provides strategies for
La, Accra and worldwide. Each section
includes why the strategy is important, the
motivations behind them, who the actors
involved are and what steps are necessary
for implementation. They should be seen as
complementary; incorporating elements
from each in the other.
6.1 Land & Planning
The objective of the following strategies is to
secure passive open spaces through
building on the existing structures in Accra.
The focus is not only on the matters
concerning La, but on issues shared city-
wide.
Strategy 1a: Establish a single system, which unifies the existing LAP, LIS & GIS digitalsystems and overlaps them with
-Current and potential passive open spaces
-Farmers’ maps of land use and movements across lands
Timeline: 3 years
37
WHY WHO HOW
To provide a single reliable access point with
all the required information to restrict urban
development and encroachment on urban
agricultural lands
TCP
IWMI
GHAFEDUP
Farmers
LC
SD
TCP to produce GIS maps of open
passive spaces and UPA lands in line
with LAP. Technical advice to be
provided by IWMI
Farmers to engage in city-wide
enumerations of open passive spaces
with the help of IWMI and
GHAFEDUP’s technical expertise
Create platform for land buyers and
sellers to transparently discuss land sales
C
r
d
a
L
t
c
r
o
i
A
t
t
b
s
l
Strategy 1b: Rethink and refine specific urban planning mechanisms to protect andpreserve passive open spaces for UPA
Timeline: 2 years
38
WHY WHO HOW
onditions for the refining of
equirements for urban
evelopment should be provided,
s Land Act 2008 is passed and the
and Bill and Land Use Bill are in
he process of revision &
onsolidation. Thus there is a
oom for specific land use laws for
pen passive spaces to be
ncorporated within relevant bills
dialogue and consensus between
he various institutions involved in
he land planning process needs to
e established to strengthen and
treamline the prepared land-use
aws
EPA
TCP
Customary Authorities
e.g. EDDT or Individual
Families
A team of consulting
lawyers from a private
law firm
La FA and other FAs in
Accra
1) Team of consulting lawyers (already
mentioned in LAP for Phase 2)
examining the laws protecting green
spaces within urban development in
developed and developing countries
2) Through employing the
participatory aspect of LAP, creation
of a consultation forum which would
involve EPA, TCP, customary
authorities and farmers’
representatives in order to establish a
platform to disseminate information
and create awareness on law
proposals for open passive spaces.
Farmers’ representatives to be
included as a result of social
mobilisation strategies.
3) TCP to incorporate planning
mechanisms within the system of land
use planning and digitalise the
information with the help of IWMI
Strategy 1c: Rethink enforcement mechanisms for the protection of passive open spaces
from urban developments
Timeline: 2 years
39
WHY WHO HOW
Weak land development
controls are leading to illegal
urban development’s and
inappropriate land-use
practices
To prevent unnecessary
ecological damage to passive
green spaces through early
enforcement of land &
planning rules and laws
To deliver potential financial,
legal and technical stability for
the development of future
urban agriculture activities
TCP
Sub-Metro Departments
Urban farmers and FAs
Customary Land
Secretariats
1) Farmers recognise illegal settlements
when provided with information by the
LAP digital system, Customary Land
Secretariats, TCP and their own passive
open space enumerations
2) Urban farmers could play a key role in
safeguarding and protecting open spaces
from urban encroachment by identifying
threatening developments early in the
process, reducing ecological and financial
inconveniences from encroachments
3) Articulation of this process within the
planning enforcement system and Sub-
metro procedures incorporates local
low-level agents within higher level
powers to provide real-time information
and knowledge to act early on in illegal
urban developments
6. 2 Value Chain
From the Value Chain analysis, it is clear
that the farmers are those who make the
least profit and they are extremely
vulnerable to market inflation and eviction
due to real estate development.
In this strained situation, three main
strategies can be provided to strengthen
farmer’s capacity to increase their income
and power of negotiation. However, it is
worth noting that these strategies remain
difficult to implement in the case of La
because of the land tenure and land
planning situation, the low organization of
the FA and the limited access of financing.
Nevertheless these approaches can be
scaled up and can be used for other farmers
within AMA.
Strategy IIa: Upgrading farmers through the Value Chain to improve their
livelihoods
Timeline: From 6 months to one year
Increase farmcontrol over t
Improve farmeand increase thpower
Timeline: 3 to
WHY WHO HOW
ers’ livelihoods andhe value chain
Farmers
Sellers
Farmers take additional functions likeprocessing, marketing, transportingand selling their outputs on market’skiosk.
Farmers must form savings groupsand acquire a new set of skills inorder to take on additional activities.
Create cooperative businessesbetween farmers and sellers
Farmers need to look for newmarkets within Accra and enhancealliance with other actors in the ValueChain.
6 months
Why Who How
Strategy IIb: Developing functional collaboration among farmers to increase profitmargins
40
rs’ livelihoodseir market
Farmers Farmers work together to achieve economiesof scales in input markets (e.g. seeds) and bulkup outputs.
Strengthening the FA could help in supporting the
collaboration and organization between farmers as
well as with other actors (retailers, markets sellers,
governments, etc.) because it can take over several
functions including transporting agricultural
produce and buying collectively.
Farmers will have to buy inputs in greater quantity
to realize economies of scales and share technical
knowledge to improve the quality of their
products.
Strategy IIc: Focusing production on market niches, (such as in Airport Hillslocated in the North of La) to reserve land for agricultural purpose
41
WHY WHO HOW
Lock green spaces to
grow agricultural
produce for limited local
consumption
Farmers
(In Kpeletso and
Airport Hills)
Consumers
Planning
developers
Developers should identify and plan green
spaces for agricultural purposes within their
housing development plans
Farmers have to work in close collaboration
to claim some land for agricultural purpose
with the real estate agency in order to
provide food for the local consumption.
Farmers have to focus production on strict
demands of market niches. In the case of
Airport Hills, it can be expected that
residents will prefer into
ecological/organically grown food
Consequently, farmers have to add value to
their products by improving production and
engaging in simple forms of processing,
packaging and direct selling.
It will be suitable for farmers to form an
association or cooperative business in order
to lower transaction costs, create economies
of scales and develop greater lobbying and
negotiating power with the real estate
development agency and the local population.
Timeline: 6 months
42
Although the strategies explained above
differ mainly with respect to the target group
they work with, in all cases, there are some
limitations to such approaches.
Upgrading farmers through the Value Chain
does not automatically lead to higher
incomes. Adding activities also means
adding costs and risks, which in turn
necessitate new set of assets and skills that
farmers have to meet. Moreover, farmers in
La are not a homogeneous group; some are
more able to take over roles in the value-
chain (because of the relationship with land
owners, investment capacity), whereas
others are more excluded to the
participation in managing various aspects of
their product’s value. And as stated earlier,
this kind of commitment entails greater
risks, investments and responsibilities,
which farmers should be willing and able to
bear.
The second approach induces a horizontal
collaboration, meaning that farmers have to
work together. However, as found out in La,
farmers do not collaborate at all. Due to the
actual context of uncertainty, farmers do not
perceive any incentives/benefits to act
collectively. Although the value-chain
analysis has highlighted the scope for
creating economies of scales by acting
collectively, it is still a challenge to change
farmers’ perception.
6.3 Collective Action
While the strategies described above provide some incentives for farmers to act collectively,
they also rely on strong collective action and social mobilisation from the farmers themselves to
enable the strategies to be implemented and ensure farmers become more visible in the political
arena with greater participation in decision-making.
The following strategies all sit under one umbrella strategy, which is to:
Strengthen the voice of farmers by mobilising them and other key actors (especially women)
through strengthened collaboration, reciprocity and solidarity to harness social capital,
strengthen institutional recognition and power of negotiation and ultimately readdress power
relations and provide the right to farm in the city by transforming the urban system and its
meanings.
Strategy III.a: Reorganise and strengthen the existing La FA by building on existing informal
networks to better mobilise farmers to make their voices heard
Timeline: 3 months
43
Why Who How
Increased clearer voice in the political arena,especially for women
Increased representation in decision-making
Increased bargaining power to:
Fight encroachmentsDebate relocation optionsReceive compensation
Open up negotiation to secure tenure
Establish channels of cooperation
Reverse the mentality that farmers are only fighting
La Farmers
Airport HillsCooperative
MoFA ExtensionOfficers
Democraticallyelect a strong newleader
Create a strongshared vision as tothe purpose of theFA
Agree to meetweekly (orwhatever is moreappropriate forfarmers)
Collectively buy
for land but for their right to farm in the city
Establish good relationship with the new co-op inAirport Hills
Bypass straight to the TCP, Land Commission andMoFA
Support development of the value chain by increasingthe organization and collaboration between farmersas well as with other actors (retailers, markets sellers,governments, etc.) to obtain higher incomes
products
Strategy IIIb: Partner the La FA with experienced organisations such as PD, GHAFUP andCICOL to mobilise and empower farmers by learning from other members of the urban poorand gaining a greater capacity to influence decision making
Timeline: 6 months
44
Why Who How
Enhance and empower the collectivecapacities of the La FA for advocacy and
influencing policy and decision-making
Developing savings groups will give anadditional push to farmer’s business activities.Savings groups are adapted to the needs andcharacteristics of urban farmers and allowthem to avoid having to resort to credits andloans that will make their situation moredifficultFarmers said they are willing to start a savingsgroup again but just need support
GHAFEDUP already have the capacity andresources to help mobilise and empowerfarmers through savings group andenumerations, and have links with policymakers
La Farmers
PD
GHAFEDUP
CICOL
SDI
La farmers work withGHAFUP and PD to undertaketheir own enumerations andcreate a savings group
Through PD, organise exchangevisits between farmers and PD,GHAFEDUP, CICOL OldFadama, and an FA whichalready has a strong savingsculture
Strategy IIIc: Open up new routes for negotiation, by collaborating with other FAs acrossAccra to create a Farmers Federation as an umbrella group to speak out for issues affectingurban farmers and mobilise farmers by tapping into a more aggregated voice
Timeline: 1 year
45
Why Who How
Bring a few demobilised voicestogether to magnify them acrossAccra in an aggregated voice
Link civil society groups to fosterbetter dialogue across sectors ofthe urban population andinstitutions
Give farmers a greater ability toby-pass the traditional institutionsthey have been faced with, and gostraight to the TCP, LC and MoFAto make more noise and be heard.
Open up new routes fornegotiation, by collaborating withother FA’s
Foster better dialogue acrosssectors of the urban populationand institutions
Recognise the right to people’sfood sovereignty
La Farmers
Other FA’s in Accra(includingcooperatives)
MoFA ExtensionOfficers
PD
GHAFEDUP
SDI
CICOL
Through MoFA Extension Officersand PD one farmer from each FA(possibly the chair) go to meetwith PD and CICOL to see howthey can better mobilise and createan umbrella federation
Through MoFA Extension Officersand PD form an Accra Federationof Urban Farmers
Organise a city campaign aroundthe importance of UPA for foodsovereignty and to put a face andvoice to the urban farmers
The new umbrella organisation toorganise a demonstration/ protestasking for:
LandCompensationRelocation optionsRight to farm in the cityImportance of UA to foodsovereignty and livelihoods
All of the above strategies will help to foster the integration of UPA into the economic, political
and social fabric of Accra.
6.4 A Place for UPA in the Millenium City
W
Strategy IV: To reframe and redefine UPA as an integral component within the Millennium City
vision.
In doing so, UPA can be promoted as a means of poverty reduction, contributing to
economic and social livelihoods and help cities achieve food security.
In Accra’s current vision of a Millennium City, UPA has been neglected in the favour of
urban development and economic profits of real estate market.
46
hy Who How
Many MDGs
(environmental
sustainability, women
empowerment, and poverty
reduction) can be achieved
through promoting and
sustaining UPA.
UPA contributes to food
security and sustainable
livelihoods, which go
beyond the Millennium
City’s sole focus on
economic profitability
Since universal benefits of
UPA are not fully
recognised by the wider
society, protection of UPA
and environmental benefits
need to be publicised. This
strategy could help reframe
UPA at the policy and civil
society level and in doing
so emphasize its
importance in wider society.
MoFA
Farmers
Educational
Institutes
AWGUPA
Media
The Earth
Institute,
Columbia
University
Through AWGUPA, provide a forum fordialogue with relevant stakeholders fromdifferent levels such as policy-makers, MoFAextension officers, Customary Land owners, FArepresentatives to realise UPA as an assetwithin Accra’s ‘Millennium City’ Vision.
The annual MoFA, Farmer award ceremonyalready provides a platform which can be furtherstrengthen for civil society engagement throughan interactive and educational capacity.
The creation of awards such as most innovativeFA or FA/Collective with most sustainable andsafe practices can be created to promote UPAin ‘Millennium City’
Award ceremony provides an entry point toestablish ‘UPA Millennium City Fair Event’ inorder to publicise and promote UPA benefits toa wider community. Showcase of different informative activities,
collaborative events and the selling of foodmade with UPA vegetables through aninnovative and interactive platform for urban& peri-urban farmers.
This event will engage members across allage group in a fun, interactive capacity andincrease wider understanding of importanceof UPA.
Use of media and radio broadcasting topublicise the ‘UPA Millennium City Fair Event’and MoFA annual farmer award ceremony asan event open to the public, beyond only thefarming community.
47
7.0MONITORING &
EVALUATING
48
7.0 Monitoring & Evaluating
The following section presents indictors for which will be used to measure the progress and
performance of the strategies in addition to the actors involved and the timeframe required..
7.1 Land & Planning
Strategy
Monitoring
Indicators By whom When
I a) Establish a single system
which unifies the existing LAP,
LIS & GIS digital systems and
overlaps them with:
-Current and potentialopen passive spaces-Farmers maps of land use
and movements across lands
Incorporation of maps into one
digital system
Dialogue between the land
sellers and buyers
Agreed documentation of
passive open space
enumerations within FAs
TCP officials,
IWMI
LC – SD
All farmers in the
FA meetings
Within 1
year
Every 6
months
Every 3
months
I b) Rethink and refine specific
urban planning mechanisms to
protect and preserve passive
open spaces for UPA
Documentation of legal
preparation progress
TCP’s integration of new
planning mechanisms into their
layout plans on the basis of a
solid legal capacity
Consulting
lawyer
TCP officials
Every 6
months
Every
year
I c) Rethink enforcement
mechanisms for the protection
of passive open spaces from
urban developments
Agreed documentation among
farmers on identification of
encroachments
Documentation of
inappropriate land use and
breach of passive open space
measures
Farmers and
Sub-Metro
departments
LC – Survey
Department, TCP
Every 6
months
Every 6
months
49
7.2 Value Chain
Strategy
Monitoring
Indicators By whom WhenII a) Upgrading
Farmers through
the Value Chain
Regular meetings of
enterprises/ associations or
cooperative business
FAs
Farmers
Sellers
Every month
II b) Developing
functional
collaboration
among farmers
Repartition of earnings and
profits between actors in
the Value Chain
Farmers profit margins
increase
FAs
Farmers
Before and after every harvest (5
to 6 months) with a weekly follow-
up
Every year
II c) Focusing
production on
market niches
such as in Airport
Hills
Land locked for UPA in
development plans
Increased product quality
Push towards organic foods
for niche market
Private developers
FA or cooperative
business
Farmers
Consumers
Within a year
7.3 Collective Action
Strategy
Monitoring
Indicators By who When
III a) Reorganise andstrengthen the current LaFA by building on existinginformal networks tobetter mobilise farmers tomake their voices heard
Frequent farmer meetings
The election of a new chair
Re-voting of treasurer and secretarypositions
The democratic creation of a sharedvision
Agreed documents/ minutes of the
La Farmers
La Farmers
La Farmers
Weekly
Within 1 month
(one meeting to
discuss, one to
vote new posts)
Creation within
1 month,
reviewed every
50
meeting highlighting the new vision
Monthly meetings with thecooperative and farmers in AirportHills and agreed documents/minutes of the meeting
La Farmers
La Farmers
La Farmers and
Airport Hills
Cooperative
6 months
After every
meeting
Every 2 months
II b) Partner the La FAwith experiencedorganisations such as PD,GHAFUP and CICOL tomobilise and empowerfarmers by learning fromother members of theurban poor and gaininggreater capacity toinfluence decision making
Regular meetings between Lafarmers, PD and CICOL
An exchange visit occurringbetween La Farmers, and other
actors
Official setting up of the La FAsavings group, followed by regular
meetings to collect savings
Register under the GHAFEDUP
La Farmers, PD
and CICOL
La Farmers, PD
and CICOL
La Farmers, PD
and CICOL
La Farmers and
PD
Every 3 months
to start
Within 6
months
Within 6
months
Within 6
months
II c) Open up new routesfor negotiation, bycollaborating with otherFAs across Accra to createa Farmers Federation as anumbrella group to speakout for issues affectingurban farmers and mobilisefarmers by tapping into amore aggregated voice
Agreed documents/ minutes of themeeting between all actorsregarding the establishment of anew Federation
Democratic election of chair,secretary, treasurer,communications officer etc
List indicating official membership
How often the new federationmeets
New Federation
of Farmers
New Federation
of Farmers
New Federation
of Farmers
New Federation
After every
meeting
At first meeting,
within 6 months
Confirm after
every meeting
Monthly
meetings
51
The number of farmers who join thenew federation in 1 year/ 2 years/ 3years
How many listeners/ readers theyget for their radio/ newspapercampaign
The support they get from othercivil society groups
of Farmers
New Federation
of Farmers
New Federation
of Farmers
New Federation
of Farmers and
civil society
groups
Monthly
meetings
Monitored
annually
In 1 year
1 year assess
how much
support they
have received
from other
groups
7.4 A Place for UPA in the Millennium City
StrategyMonitoring
Indicators By whom When
To reframe and redefine
UPA as an integral
component within the
Millennium City vision.
Documentation of the frequency of multi-
stakeholder meetings taking place
Documentation through minutes of
stakeholder participation and monitoring of
their contribution during meetings
The documentation of preparation and
communication with individual stakeholder
involvement in UPA Millennium City Fair
Agreed documentation of presence of UPA in
policies and strategic plan initiatives for
attaining Millennium City Vision
AWGUPA
AWGUPA
AWGUPA
AWGUPA
Every 2
Months
Every 2
Months
Annually
Every 3
months
52
7.0CONCLUSION
8.0CONCLUSION
53
8.0 Conclusions
8.1 Conclusions &
Lessons Learnt
The situation seen in both La and Accra is
representative of many cities worldwide
facing rapid urbanisation and high real
estate development, shaped by capital
accumulation and market forces. This is
leading to rapid loss of agricultural land in
cities.
While many governments globally are
starting to recognise the importance of
improving food security; they see the
solution lying in large-scale, mechanised,
chemically and energy-intensive and
peripheral agriculture, which is socially and
environmentally destructive and comes at
the expense of small-scale farmers.
Consequently, UPA will invariably be
pushed out if it is not recognised for the
critical role it can play in a city’s
development to becoming a productive
sustainable city.
Through the merged theoretical frameworks
of food sovereignty and political ecology,
the unequal power relations between actors
impacting the right to grow and consume
food in the city have been explored. Many
farmers and sellers are currently powerless
to influence policies and decision-making
around UPA.
As such a reframing of UPA in public
discourse, as a means to achieving food
sovereignty, poverty reduction, livelihood
security, resilience and urban sustainability,
is necessary. This can be achieved through
multi-level strategies, connecting all relevant
stakeholders.
This report has shown that through
strengthening CA within FAs and linking
them together under a city-wide Farmer’s
Federation could give them a greater voice
in promoting their rights to farm in the city
and open a dialogue with institutional
stakeholders.
Additionally, AWGUPA can play a key role
in coordinating stakeholders such as TCP,
CICOL, LC and SDI to implement UPA into
regional and national agricultural and urban
planning development policies.
If these and other strategies laid out in this
report are implemented and appropriately
monitored and evaluated, UPA can regain
its rightful place in the city.
54
8.2 Further
Research
Further research is necessary to fully
investigate the valuable impacts of UPA on
the social, economic, political and
environmental fabric of the city. In the face
of climate change and peak oil it is essential
to assess the levels of food sovereignty
UPA can bring to a city such as Accra.
Research also needs to continue to
accurately map the current and prospective
UPA land throughout Accra.
Furthermore, research needs to be
undertaken to further explore how UPA can
be seen as an attractive and viable feature
of cities against the high persuasion of
market forces.
Additionally, it would be interesting to
explore how urban farmers worldwide can
work with SDI so that both groups can
mutually benefit and work towards their
desired goals.
55
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