Prolinnova’s present and future partners in Ghana met on 7–11 September 2003 in Koforidua, Southern Ghana, to discuss and plan for a Prolinnova multi-stakeholder programme in the country. The national workshop built on the results of three zonal workshops that were held in Tamale for the Northern Zone, Kumasi for the Middle Belt and Accra for the Southern Zone. These zonal workshops played a crucial role in the planning process in allowing more people to exchange experiences and provide suggestions for priority action areas for Prolinnova-Ghana.
The national workshop brought together 21 farmers and agricultural development staff from a variety of organisations. The opening keynote address was made by Mr Isaac Mensah of the Eastern Regional Coordinating Council on behalf of the Regional Minister, while Mr Osei-Frimpong, the new National Director of Extension Services, also spoke. A number of formal presentations contributed to developing a joint framework. These included two case studies on participatory agricultural research and development and two presentations on agricultural policies and policy development in Ghana. These gave entry points for the work of Prolinnova-Ghana and also provided input into the international Prolinnova framework.
In reporting on their respective zonal workshops, the three zones presented a number of key issues and priorities to be addressed by Prolinnova in Ghana. Complemented by other issues from the various discussions, these formed the basis for small groups to draft objectives and activities for Prolinnova-Ghana, covering the following themes:
- Documentation and dissemination of local innovations
- Capacity building
- Strengthening Participatory Technology Development (PTD) for local innovation
- Recognising and rewarding local innovations/innovators
- Mainstreaming farmer-led participatory innovation
- Strengthening collaboration among stakeholders
- Promoting genuine, strong farmer groups and associations.
After the workshop, a three-member team drafted a formal proposal incorporating the above. It was finally agreed that the present coordinating body for Prolinnova-Ghana would also manage the future programme. This body consists of the NGOs ECASARD, GOAN (Ghana Organic Agriculture Network), ACDEP, the Root and Tuber Improvement Programme (RTIP) and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA). It was decided that the committee could be expanded to include one or more farmer representatives, and one or two other organisations, possibly from research.
