Pairing small scale irrigation with index insurance to manage risk and expand access to credit in Northern Ghana led by Prof. John Kuwornu from University of Energy and Natural Resources. Drought is a constant threat across Sub-Saharan Africa. A new government initiative in Ghana is building rain-fed dams to irrigate small-scale farmer communities, but these dams may dry up during a severe drought. This project is testing an innovative bundle of supplemental irrigation and complementary index insurance to expand farmers overall drought protection. This innovation could unlock investments that leverage the benefits of irrigation and better-managed risk, further improving long-term agricultural growth and resilience in rural communities.
This project aligns with USAID objectives in Ghana in terms of its targeted crops of maize and rice and its focus on the country’s Northern Savannah agro-ecological zone. The project integrates nutrition and gender issues throughout and emphasizes improving the food security and resilience of vulnerable households. The project complements existing initiatives supported by Feed the Future and USAID that address agricultural productivity, food security, nutrition and access to credit and markets.
The project is also answering other questions that will guide its future scaling. In particular, the research team is developing the most cost-effective way to make the bundle of irrigation and insurance available and is assessing farmers’ willingness to pay for the product so as to ensure its commercial sustainability.
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