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

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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Criteria for evaluating SUPA:

Diagram 1: Criteria for evaluating SUPA

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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?

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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?

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3.0METHODOLOGY& LIMITATIONS

4.0METHODOLOGY &

LIMITATIONS

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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

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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.

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5.0RESULTS ANDANALYSIS

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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 since2010

The 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 Change

25

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

I

30

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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