The projects in brief

1. ProEcoAfrica: Productivity and Profitability of Organic and Conventional Farming Systems (ProEcoAfrica): A Comparative Analysis in Sub-Saharan Africa
Duration: 2013-2019
Project site: Ghana and Kenya

2. OFSA: Organic Food Systems Africa
Duration: 2016-2020
Project site: Ghana, Kenya and Uganda

3. PMCA and Nutridecisions
Duration: 2019-2021
Project site: Kenya

 

Implemented by: Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Switzerland

Main Implementing Partners:

  • Ghana
    • Agro Eco - Louis Bolk Institute (LBI)
    • Ghana Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), Directorate of Crops Services
    • University of Ghana (UoG)
  • Kenya
    • International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe)
    • Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO)
  • International Federation of the Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM - Organics International)

Supported financially by:

  • Dutch Humanist Institute for Cooperation (Hivos),
  • Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC)
  • Mercator Foundation Switzerland
  • Leopold Bachmann Foundation
  • Ekhagastiftelsen (Ekhaga Foundation)

ProEcoAfrica and OFSA are implemented in close consultation with:

  • National Advisory Committee (NAC) Members, Ghana
    • Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA)
    • Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD)
    • Ghana Ecological Organic Agriculture Platform (GEOAP)
    • International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)
  • National Advisory Committee (NAC) Members, Kenya
    • Kenya Institute of Organic Farming (KIOF)
    • Kenya Organic Agriculture Network (KOAN)
    • Kenya Ministry of Agriculture, Lands and Fisheries (MALF)
    • Organic Agriculture Centre for Kenya (OACK)
    • Participatory Ecological Land Use Management Association (PELUM)
  • Regional and International Project Steering Committee Members (PSC)
    • The African Organic Network (AfrONet)
    • Biovision Africa Trust
    • Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA)
    • GLS Zukunftsstiftung Entwicklung
    • International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)
    • Makerere University, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, School of Agricultural sciences
    • Zentrum für Entwicklungsforschung / Center for Development Research (ZEF), Bonn University, Germany

Productivity, Profitability and Sustainability of Organic and Conventional Faming Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa: Comparative analyses (2013 – 2021)

Overview

Under the umbrella name ProEcoAfrica, the research projects ProEcoAfrica (2013 – 2019) and "Organic Food Systems Africa (OFSA) (2016 – 2020) have been generating comparative scientific evidence on the productivity, profitability and sustainability of conventional and organic production systems on smallholder farms in Ghana and Kenya. ProEcoAfrica assessed productivity and profitability of the farms in the two countries while OFSA assessed sustainability of the same farms in Ghana and Kenya, and additionally also in Uganda. The two projects are contributing towards addressing the gaps in availability of solid data and scientific evidence on the benefits and drawbacks of certified and non-certified organic production systems in Africa in comparison with conventional low- and high- input production systems. Such sound data and evidence are key to informing and influencing decision taking and practice by farmers, extension agents and managers from public and private institutions including investors while also being fundamental to policy-making in the agriculture, food and nutrition security, environment and and related sectors.

ProEcoAfrica and OFSA contribute to the goal of improved rural livelihoods, including food, nutrition and income security in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) through climate-smart intensification of agricultural systems. The research projects are implemented by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL together with partners from Ghana, Kenya, regional and continental Africa, as well as Europe. They have been supported financially supported by the Dutch Humanist Institute for Cooperation (Hivos), the Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC), and Mercator Foundation Switzerland.

Building onto the ProEcoAfrica and OFSA research projects

Since 2019, two follow-up projects to ProEcoAfrica and OFSA research projects were initiated in Murang’a County, one of the case study sites in Kenya. These two projects, ending in 2021, are:

  1. Participatory Market Linkages for Smallholder Organic Farmers in Murang’a, Kenya – with co-funding support from the Leopold Bachmann Foundation Switzerland, this project is aimed at connecting organic smallholder farmers in Murang’a to local and export markets using the Participatory Market Chain Approach (PMCA). Poorly developed markets for the organic produce from Murang’a emerged as a key challenge highlighted by the project farmers during the research phase of ProEcoAfrica.
  2. Nutridecisions project – this project is analyzing the dietary diversity and nutritional practices and decisions among organic and conventional farming women in Murang’a County, Kenya. It is financially supported by the Swedish Ekhagastiftelsen (Ekhaga Foundation).

Partners – research, implementation and advisory