HT @carolannie
#Agroecology offers blueprint for #resilient farming in northern #Ghana
by Caleb Ahinakwah, 5 Dec 2024
Excerpt: "Alley cropping in practice: Healing the land
"As climatic conditions worsen, farmers in the region are turning to agroforestry techniques. One approach that has taken root, literally, in the Builsa area is alley cropping, which integrates trees with traditional farming practices. Tree Aid, an international nonprofit that works on forest and land restoration projects in Ghana and elsewhere, introduced this technique to farmers in the region in 2014. Farmers have planted rows of trees such as shea, baobab and moringa 12 meters (39 feet) apart, and continued to grow crops like millet, cowpeas and groundnuts beneath them.
"Yakubu Issah began planting baobab and shea trees on his farm five years ago. 'At first, it seemed like extra work with little reward. But now, our millet grows healthier, the soil holds water longer, and we even earn extra income by selling baobab leaves,' he said.
"He added that bees have returned, along with birds and squirrels: 'The farm feels alive again."'
