SUSTAINABLE AND ECO-FRIENDLY FARMING PRACTICES
Increased demand for food for the growing population in the country, requires smart agricultural practices for adequate food supply. Farmers in Ghana produce food which are consumed locally and others being exported to the other part of the World. Whiles there is rise in agricultural activities in the country, there is also the need for us to take good precautions in our farming process to avoid destroying farms, lands, animals and water bodies.
Eco-friendly farming has become a priority as there is rising awareness about the environmental harm caused by large-scale agriculture. The practice involves the use of new farming techniques and practices that ensure the production of crops and maintaining our ecosystem.This solution can offset damages such as forest clearings, destruction of habitats, the negative impact of pesticides and intense carbon outputs in sustainable farming. Both policymakers and environmentalists are actively promoting eco-friendly and sustainable farming solutions to overcome these damages.
Our Focus:
- Promoting Backyard Gardening: Households consume vegetables daily and fruits sometimes. HG believes that households can easily access these in their fresh states at less cost. We, therefore, sensitize the cultivation of these crops in their backyard gardens.
- Greenery Landscaping. Promoting the planting of at least a tree in every house is a key target of HG. Landscaping is therefore highly encouraged. Total concreting of compounds are highly discouraged as this practice contributes to flooding.
- Promoting Agroforestry: HG promotes integrating the growth of trees and shrubs and among pineapple cultivation, vegetables. We promote planting perennial plants such as fruit trees, perennial herbs and cow peas among others on the ground level and underground root vegetables.
- Sensitization on Crop Rotation Practice: HG encourages this practice in an effort to prevent the spread of diseases among plants and also reduce the amount of pesticide and chemical fertilizers required.
- Promoting High Yielding Seeds Sowing: Cultivation of high yielding seeds exonerates farmers from clearing large portions of land for given expected yield. Over the years we have collaborated with Bunso Research institute to support the cultivation of high yielding coconut seeds by farmers in the Ellembele district as well as high yielding Oil palm fruits for farmers at Assin Dominase
- Appropriate and Modernized Technology: HG facilitates adoption of mulching using inorganic materials ie plastic which involves covering the base of pineapple crops with polythene to prevent evaporation of water from the soil and weed growth at the base of the plant. HG has supported pineapple farmers especially in the Central Region.
- Promotion of Organic Manure Application: HG encourages the application of cocoa husks, sawn dust and animal droppings as well as bio digester residuals on farms and gardens instead of application of inorganic manure. This is to ensure that we lessen the chemical effect on our greenery
There is the need for us to have sustainable farming and promoting sustainability across the farming value chain to increase food production capacities and active environmental protection.
