Eastern Corridor Districts of the Northern Region, Community-Driven Initiatives for Food Security (CIFS)

Purpose

• To promote and increase the effective use of existing local government structures and processes as mechanisms to respond to community-driven food security priorities
• To increase sustainable household food security in 250 participating communities in 10 districts of the northern region of Ghana

Challenge

Food insecurity is a fact of life throughout Ghana, and in the rural areas of the north annual periods of food shortages range from two to five months. The situation is aggravated by high population density in some areas and difficult climatic and environmental conditions throughout the northern savannah zones. The incidence of poverty is increasing among subsistence farm families, and gender inequities are more apparent, with women dramatically less able to access resources and generate income.

Approach

Agriteam uses a community-driven development (CDD) approach to strengthen both communities and local governments at the district and sub-district levels, as well as other government and non-governmental resources that are relied upon for technical assistance related to community-driven development and food security.

Successful CDD in northern Ghana requires a keen understanding of the links among conflict, food security and access to land, natural resources and markets. Community capacity building to identify, prioritize and plan for effective food security initiatives is at the centre of this project, but the project is also developing capacity at district and regional levels to respond to community-identified priorities and initiatives.

Project Description

The Community-Driven Initiatives for Food Security project is an integral part of CIDA’s overall food security strategy for northern Ghana. CIFS seeks to achieve a sustainable increase in household food security in the 10 districts of the Eastern Corridor, northern region of Ghana, by:

• strengthening the existing community, sub-district, district and regional mechanisms that support community-driven rural development
• demonstrating, through the successful participatory planning and implementation of initiatives, that CDD is an effective way of increasing household food security

CIFS has two components. Component II (CIFS-II) is the budgetary support process through which funds are provided to the districts to implement food security initiatives. CIFS-II is the responsibility of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment (MLGRDE). Component I (CIFS-I)—which is the subject of this report—focuses on:

• developing capacity for local government and other key project stakeholders
• supporting participatory processes in selected communities
• identifying priority food security initiatives within the selected districts and communities

Environment, gender, HIV/AIDS and conflict management are mainstreamed as CIFS’ cross-cutting themes. CIFS-I is being implemented in coordination with the Northern Regional Coordinating Unit (RPCU).

Results

As of March 31, 2008, the accumulated results to date of CIFS activities are as follows:

• 250 communities in 10 districts are engaged at various stages of food security planning, coordination with local government structures and implementation of food security initiatives
• CIFS has supported 190 communities in developing Community Action Plans that articulate their development priorities and that they can use in advocating for resources
• CIFS has supported 74 Area Councils in the preparation of their Area Level Plans, which are used to inform district- and regional-level planning in food security as well as other sectors (health, education, infrastructure)
• CIFS has supported communities in the identification, design, planning, coordination, procurement and implementation of 194 community food security initiative projects
• CIFS has supported District Assemblies in the identification, design, planning, coordination, procurement and implementation of six district-wide food security initiative projects
• CIFS facilitated the engagement of the Ghana Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in its food security planning for both community and district-wide initiatives

Further, under component II of CIFS, the EPA completed a Strategic Environmental Assessment in all 10 districts as a reference for future planning.

Women are targeted and benefit either directly or indirectly by at least 50% of the value of CIFS’ food security initiatives. Vulnerable groups, such as people with disabilities, are benefiting to a lesser degree, but efforts are being made to recognize and meet their needs. People living with HIV and AIDS have not disclosed their status in CIFS’ communities, so they cannot be targeted directly. However, they benefit by the labour-saving technologies (cartage, processing equipment) and processing activities that provide more easily digestible food.

Project Director: Alex Schumacher.