CSIR-CRI holds Stakeholders Engagement on Embrace Gh-Kenya Project
From Ernest Best Anane, Kumasi
The CSIR-CRI holds Stakeholders Engagement on Embrace Gh-Kenya Project with the Forestry Commission, Community leaders, Landowners, Students, lawyers and Researchers to collaborate and share ideas to help revitalize the marginal or neglected crops in food system in Ghana and Kenya.
Dr Oppong Peprah, the Project Lead, at the engagement explained that after the launching of the project they first activity of the project was to embark on a survey in forty-one (41) communities in Ghana and twenty -five in Kenya while selected fifteen (15) in Ghana and ten (10) represent about twenty -five hectares of lands to be develop since they are looking at the revitalizing of the marginal or neglected crops in food system.
According to him, they also go further to collect some of the farmers save seeds that they have in their banks multiplying them and later re-introduce in the fast steps that would be establishing within the twenty-five hectare communities.
He said the project is in three regions in Ghana which includes Bono, Ashanti and Western North regions with five communities in each region that provides at least one hectare land for the project making it a total of fifteen (15) hectares to plant trees for the Environmental Protection and conservation.
Professor Maxwell Asante Director of CSIR-Crop Institute explained that the project is aimed to a conservation of biodiversity and it’s sustainability through indigenous knowledge to enhance co-creation of Agroforestry models.
He disclosed that the project is prioritizing inclusivity as indigenous knowledge could play a vital role to achieve the purpose to ensure that the environment is projected after while the marginal and neglected crops are revitalize and projected for the future generations and children unborn.
Madam Afua Wirenkyiwaah, a beneficiary farmer at the project expressed gratitude to the officials for the laudable initiative towards reducing deforestation and Land degradation through farming and human settlements.
According to her, the project has improve their knowledge and Technical known how to farm and the same time preserve the forest and land for their grandchildren to inherit.
