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TRANSCRIPT
E-356
Ministry Of Food And Agriculture
STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
of
Agricultural Services Sector Investment Programme (AgSSEP)
PreparedUnder the auspices of
Environmental Protection Agency
March, 2000
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUJMMARY ................................................................ V
1.0 EVMODUCTION ....................................................... 1.1 BACKGROUND TO PROGRAMME ........................................................ 11.2 PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES ........................................................ 2
2.0 DESCRIPTION OF AgSSIP ....................................................... 32.1 PROGRAMME COMPONENTS ....................................................... 3
2.1.1 Agricultural Support Services ....................................................... 32.1.2 Institutional and regulatory development and capacity building ................ 52.1.3 Development of the agricultural commerce sector ..................................... 6
2.2 DESCRIPTION OF THE "BOUNDARIES TO WHICH STRATEGICENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (SEA) IS LIMITED .. 6
3.0 EXISTING ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION OBJECTIVES ANDCONDITIONS .. 7
3.1 ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS RELATED TO AGRICULTURE. 73.2 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION OBJECTIVES .83.3 EXISTING ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS .93.4 CONSTRAINTS TO SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE .113.2 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES OF AGSSIP MEASURES AND .13
STRATEGIES .13ENVIRONMENTAL ..ACTS . 16HUMAN IMPACTS .. 156
4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT SYNTHESIS AND EVALUATION ANDPROPOSED M ITIGATION M EASURES . ....................................... l9
4.1 AGRICULTURAL SUPPORT SERVICES ........................................ 1 94.1.1 Agricultural Research Interventions ......................................... 194.1.2 Agricultural Technology Diffusion ......................................... 204.1.3 Crop Production and Protection Services ......................................... 224.1.4 Livestock Services ......................................... 234.1.5 Aquaculture Development and Extension ......................................... 244.1.6 Co-Management of Fisheries ......................................... 265.1.7 Agricultural Statistics Services ......................................... 26
4.2 INSTITUTIONAL AND REGULATORY DEVELOPMENT ANDCAPACITY BUILDING .......................................... 31
4.2.1 INTRODUCTION ......................................... 3114.2.2 PROPOSED PROJECT INTERVENTIONS ......................................... 311
4.2.2.1 Strengthening Pesticide Management Capabilities . ......................................... 3 14.2.2.2 Strengthening Planning, Budgeting, Co-ordinating, Monitoring
andEvaluation .................................................. 3114.2.2.3 Human Resource Development and Management (HRDM) . .324.2.2.4 Institutional Strengthening of Ghana Irrigation
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Development Agency (GIDA) ........................................................ 324.2.2.5 Institutional Structure And Capacity Building for Sustainable Fisheries
Development ......................................................... 324.2.2.6 Capacity Building In The Animal Production Directorate . . 324.2.2.7 Agricultural Statistics System ........................................................ 334.2.2.8 Promotion of Agricultural Organisation ...................................... 334.2.2.9 Enhance capacity of institutions, colleges and universities . . 33
4.2.3 Main Identified Impacts ......................................................... 334.2.3.1 Safe and Sound Management of Pesticides ................................... 334.2.3.2 Management and Organisation of MOFA .................................... 344.2.3.3 Trained Professional Personnel ............................................ 344.2.3.4 Research and Technology Transfer ......................................... 34
4.2.4 Mitigation Measures ........................................................ 344.2.4.1 Ecological Farming and Good Husbandry .................................... 344.2.4.2 Fisheries Development Strategy ........................................... 35
4.3 DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURAL COMMERCE SECTOR .............. 354.3.1 Introduction ........................................................ 354.3.2 Programme Components ........................................................ 36
4.3.2.1 Improved Distribution Of Agricultural Inputs . ................................................ 364.3.2.2 Reduction Of Post Harvest Losses .......................................... 364.3.2.3 Manufacturing Of Agricultural Implements . ................................................... 364.3.2.4 Infratructure Support To Enhance The Export Of Agricultural
Commodities ........................................................ 364.3.2.5 Entrepreneurship Development ........................................... 36
4.3.3 Enviro nmental Impacts ........................................................ 3774.3.3.1 Improved Distribution of Agricultural Inputs . ................................................. 374.3.3.2 Reduction In Post Harvest Losses .......................................... 384,3.3.3 Manufacturing of Agricultural Implements . .................................................... 394.3.3.4 Infrastructure Support To Enhance Export Of Agricultural Products ... 394.3.3.5 Entrepreneurship Development ........................................... 40
4.3.4 Mitigation Proposals ......................................................... 404.3.4.1 Reduction Of Post Harvest Losses .......................................... 404.3.4.2 Infrastructure Support To Enhance The Export Of Agricultural
Commodities ........................................................ 1 A4.3.4.3 Entrepreneurship Development ......................................................... 41
5.0 GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS . .42
APPENDICES1 Impact Analysis Matrices .432 Terms of Reference .60
REFERENCES ......... 64
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LIST OF ACRONYMS
AAGDS - Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Development StrategyASSA - Annual Sample Survey of AgricultureAESD - Agricultural Engineering Services DirectorateAgSSIP - Agricultural Services Sector Investment ProgrammeCSIR - Council for Scientific and Industrial ResearchDAES - Directorate of Agricultural Extension ServicesEPA - Environmental Protection AgencyEWFIS - Early Warning Food Information & SystemFAO - Food and Agriculture OrganisationGERMP - Ghana Environmental Resource Management ProjectGDP - Gross Domestic ProductGHG - Green House GasesGIS - Geographic Information SystemsIFAD - International Fund for Agricultural DevelopmentMDAs - Ministries, Departments and AgenciesMOFA - Ministry of Food and AgricultureMTADP - Medium Term Agricultural Development PlanNAFGIM - National Framework for Geo-spatial Information ManagementNARS - National Agricultural Research SystemNEAP - National Environmental Action PlanNEP - National Environmental PolicyNGOs - Non-govemmental OrganisationsNRMP - Natural Resource Management ProgrammeNSFI - National Soil Fertility InitiativePBCMED - Planning, Budgeting, Coordination, Monitoring and Evaluation
DirectorateSEA - Strategic Environmental AssessmentSMS - Subject Matter SpecialistsWIAD - Women in Agriculture Directorate
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1. The Agricultural Services Sector Investment Program (AgSSIP) is one of themajor vehicles for implementing the Accelerated Agricultural Growth andDevelopment Strategy (AAGDS) of the government for achieving its goals of Vision2020 to make Ghana a prosperous middle income country by year 2020.
2. The Strategy has the aim of reducing poverty and improving food security in therural sector through the provision of essential public services and creating a secureenabling environment for sustainable and equitable growth in the rural areas whileprotecting the physical and social environments.
3. AgSSIP is a long-term programme to support Ghana's agricultural developmentgoals by rationalising the sectoral public expenditure and the role of the Ministry ofFood and Agriculture (MOFA) and other agencies closely related to agriculturaldevelopment. AgSSIP is also aimed at improving the effectiveness in policyformulation; regulations and service provision in the sector. It comprises core supportto be provided effectively by the public sector to the farming community and businessenterprises. AgSSIP is expected to be private sector-led and increase the growth of theagricultural sector at least 5-6 per cent per year.
5. AgSSIP has four components made of thematic groups of subprogrammes andcomponents. These are:
- Reforming and strengthening agricultural technology generation and diffusion;* Institutional reform and strengthening of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture
(MOFA);* Development of farmer-based organizations; and. Strengthening agricultural education and training.
6. A strategic environmental assessment (SEA) of AgSSIP is imperative as itcovers three sectoral, regional and indirect issues. The SEA was conducted byassessing enviromnental impact of each programme activity against three sets ofenvironmental parameters (ecological implications, implications for natural resourcesand socio-economic/health implications.
7. Although mainly service-oriented, AgSSIP like many other agriculturalinterventions could generate typical impacts on different aspects of the environmentincluding, biodiversity loss, degradation of land and water resources (e.g. soil erosion,soil fertility loss) as a result of more extensive and/or intensive use of land resources,increased livestock numbers and increased use of agro-chemicals. Growth stimulatinginterventions proposed by AgSSIP may result in land use extensification and/orintensification, leading to mono-crop based farming, plant and animal disease upsurge,increased use of livestock and farm chemicals and biodiversity loss. However,potential threats emerging from particularly, direct interventions such as farmmechanization, aquaculture, range and dairy development, agro-product processing
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and storage, input supply and distribution, agricultural implement manufacture,produce/product marketing, etc., would be far less significant and ephemeral to theenvironment.
8. A few specific environmental concerns may be perceived to emanate fromimplementation of AgSSIP. These may include:
* Degradation of productive systems and natural resource base in areas wherehorticultural crops would be grown. The severity of damage may vary from oneecological zone to the other and may depend on the levels of mechanization.Continuous cultivation at shortened or no fallow periods without either ardficial ornatural nutrient replenishment would result in soil nutrient depletion, fertility lossand decline of vegetal cover. Nutrient deficiency could be compensated forthrough application of artificial fertilizers and/or organic manure. Pest and diseaseoutbreak could be more severe in monocropped horticultural fields (pineapple, oilpalm, pawpaw, citrus, mango, banana, etc.) where frequent pesticide applicationsmay be required and which may result in persistence and biomagnification inhumans, animals and plants. In some cases, beneficial non-target organisms maybe affected, resulting in an offset of ecological balance. Soils and water systems(both ground and surface water) could be contaminated and polluted from agro-chemicals. Although these are potential concems, the magnitude of suchoccurrences would be minimal as the level of these activities in Ghana is still at abeginning stage. Except for cocoa, the area in monocultural crops is very small.T-he utilization of agrochemicals in Ghana, at an average annual use of about 4 kgper hectare and 1,400 tonnes per year, is among the lowest in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Socio-economic and health implications may emanate in the provision of livestockdevelopment services. For example, if livestock diseases go unnoticed for a longtime and therefore elude urgent control, farmers, particularly those whose entireinvestment might have been concentrated in livestock may lose animals andincomes. Where veterinary drugs are used to control diseases, biomagnification ofthese chemicals may occur in animals. However, except in commercial poultryproduction, the levels of use of veterinary drugs and vaccines in Ghana is verylow.
* Aquaculture development may result in potential adverse impact on water quality,animal and human health (from e.g. fish feed, drugs and hormones, nutrientenrichment, water borne diseases), biodiversity and pond and aquatic ecologyEutrophication may lead to extensive appearance of noxious aquatic weeds whichwould be in competition with other plant species. However, the level ofaquaculture development in Ghana is at an infant stage and such adverse impactswould be minimal.
9. AgSSIP interventions would provide environmental benefits as well. Researchwould provide farmers and agro-produce processors with best practices (e.g., pattemsand intensities of crop mixtures, integrated pest management packages, use of third
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generation pesticides, more suitable and efficient machinery and equipment, etc.) thatwould ensure increased production without measurable harm to the environment. Anadded advantage of research would be the development and introduction of new andimproved (high-yielding) crop varieties, fish and animal breeds that may showresistance or tolerance to a number of specific ecological and environmental situationssuch as pest and diseases, drought and fire, and which may also enhance the ecologicalintegrity of life-supporting systems including biodiversity and ecosystem processes.The proposed programme would provide quality extension services which would beclient-oriented and gender-sensitive and therefore tailor-packaged to resolve particularfarmers' interests. For example IPM packages have been developed and tested withfarmers in Ghana for rice and other cereals, legumes and vegetables.
10. The diffusion to and adoption by farmers of best practices emanating fromclosed and on-going natural and environmental resources management programmessuch as the Ghana Environment Project (GERMP), the DANIDA-supported Land andWater Management Project (LWMP) and many others are having positive impacts onthe environment. The ongoing Natural Resources Management Program (NRMP) withits focus on high forest, savanna and wildlife resources management is expected tohave significant positive impact in reversing the depletion of trees, bushes, wildlifebiodiversity in these eco-systems, with substantial community participation in themanagement of these resources. Demonstration trials (e.g. in agro-chemical use, IPM,livestock husbanding, range management, fodder banking and production, land andwater conservation techniques, etc.) in specific agro-ecological zones would serve toexemplify best practices for farmers' adoption to increase yield and eliminate orminimize the negative impact of their actions on the environment. AgSSIP couldenhance the integrity of the present environment through the promotion of best andwell tested agricultural practices and provision of services that would ensure theoptimal use and sustainable management of natural resources and improvement ofrural livelihoods through generation of wealth from on and off farm activities. UnderAgSSIP, decentralized institutional planning and implementation arrangements foragricultural development programmes will be established which would create theconducive socio-economic environment for accelerated agricultural growth on anenvironmentally sustainable basis.
11. The programme acknowledges the importance of natural resource andenvironmental issues as well as poverty concerns in agricultural development. This isreflected in the overall development objectives of the programme which aims to raiserural incomes and reduce poverty. This is positive for the environment as poverty hasimportant negative environmental dimensions. On the whole, the impact matrixanalysis conducted on the programme's components shows that AgSSIP would haveminimum significant adverse impacts on the environment or most of the impacts thatwould result are ephemeral in nature. The programme has in-built environmentalconservation measures or seeks linkages with other on-going programmes (e.g.,NRMP, SRMP, LWMP, etc.) which fundamentally aim to address or are alreadyaddressing some of the potential negative impacts that may result or might have
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resulted from previous development activities. Some of these positive aspects AgSSIPaddresses include:
Promotion of farming systems (agro-silvo-pastoralism, agro-forestry, mixedcropping, etc.) and practices, including integrated pest management (IPM) as thefarmers' best mix of pest control options, which take into account yields, profitsand safety for both humans and the environment and would ensure sustainable useand management of the natural resource base. Although fairly infant in its large-scale adoption, IPM has been built on the successes achieved by scaling downpesticide use and adopting biological control options in the 1980s againstmealybugs and spidermites attacking cassava and mango, armyworms, whitefly,lepidopterous defoliators, feeders and stem borers attacking graminaceous plants,vegetables, etc. AgSSIP emphasizes and supports the implementation of Ghana'splant and animal protection strategies which put emphasis on the development andadoption of IPM.
* Promotion of basic and adaptive research into sustainable patterns of intensivefarming systems by adopting appropriate cultural practices (e.g. no-burn, no-till,agro-silvo-pastoralism, agro-forestry, polycropping, cover cropping, crop rotation,mulching, manure fertilization), 1PM, matching species with site characteristics toconserve and enhance the natural resource base. The Savanna AgriculturalResearch Institute (SARI) at Tamale, the Crop Research Institute (CRI) and acouple of university research units have conducted adaptive research and on-farmtrials on farming systems and have developed several such recommendations.AgSSIP will continue to fund the generation of such technologies and theirdiffusion to farmers.
* The proposed creation of new technical specialist positions in natural resourcesmanagement; social science and monitoring and evaluation with the researchmanagement and controlling body will ensure that research findings and packagesare environmentally and socially compatible and address the needs of those whomatter.
* Building upon on-going programmes within and outside MOFA, AgSSIP willpromote the design and development of natural resource managementprogrammes, taking into consideration agro-ecological conditions to provide anintegrated approach to solving high priority problems in soil and watermanagement especially soil fertility as part of the National Soil Ferdlity Initiativethat will be developed and financed under AgSSIP
* Organization of on-fann adaptive research programmes suitable for each agro-ecological zone.
* Provision of extension services that will widen its focus to include the promotionof sustainable management of natural resources.
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* Provision of support for a national strategy in promoting the development of andcapacity building in biotechnology and the development of regulatory frameworkfor bio-safety and intellectual property rights.
* Provision of training and education for pesticide producers and users, importersand distributors, extension agents as well as regulatory bodies in the proper useand application of pesticides. Training and education is reinforced in thePesticides Control and Management Act of 1996 (Act 528) that regulatespesticides use. Education and training for all categories of people involved inpesticides production, importation, distribution, use and application is encouraged.AgSSIP also provides resources for the development of data and informationmanagement systems, laboratories and networks for research, extension, trainingand monitoring in pesticide use in Ghana.
* Supporting programmes for improvement of communal grazing areas byintroducing high nutritious fodder plants for grazing animals and soil-coveringleguminous plants which would protect soils from erosion and improve soilnutrient levels and the fertility of pasture lands. This was introduced successfullyunder the Natal Livestock Services Project and AgSSIP would expand on thisexperience.
* Promotion of the use of non-polluting methods such as the use of impregnatedtraps and biopesticides against pests and diseases in environmentally and sociallysustainable manner.
* Commitment to prepare environmental impact assessment for some programmeactivities such as community-based tsetse control and aquaculture development.
12. A number of recommendations are made to ensure that the programmeinterventions are environmentally sustainable in the long-term. These are:
* MOFA should develop a policy on the environment in order to mainstreamenvironmental considerations related to agriculture into its programme activities atall levels.
* To ensure a smooth implementation of MOFA's environmental policy andinternalising of environmental issues in MOFA's operations. Environmental deskofficers should be appointed for departments under the Ministry. These officersshould liaise with EPA on environmental aspects of their activities. EPA could becommissioned to provide orientation/training for these officers.
* MOFA should in collaboration with EPA develop environmental guidelines orsimple environmental manuals in specific areas (e.g. aquaculture, livestock,introduction of exotic species, agro-chemical use, agro-forestry development ,etc.)to guide her field officers, especially at the district level.
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* In the training of agricultural officers, fanners, input suppliers andmarketers/exporters, emphasis should be given to environmental aspects ofagricultural programmes and activities.
* Model sustainable land use systems for different ecological zones based on landcapability should be developed.
* It is expected that under AgSSIP agro-chemicals especially pesticides use (currentimport levels are estimated at less than 1,500 tons per year) may increaseconsiderably and this could have adverse impacts on the environment and humanhealth. The Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Division (PPRSD) of MOFAand EPA's Chemicals Control and Management Centre should be equipped underAgSSIP to train extension officers, importers, distributors and farmers in theproper use, application and disposal of pesticides, in compliance with the 1996Pesticide Management and Control Act.
* The Ministry of Health should be supported to set up centers to deal with chemicalpoisoning , especially in the rural areas where pesticide poisoning cases can behandled. Furthermore MOFA should assist with capacity building in pesticidesuse and application in Ghana. This is essential for realisation of AgSSIPobjectives as crop and aquaculture development would be export-oriented andthere are strict regulations on chemical residues on crops and fishproduce/products e. g. the European Union regulation would come into force byJuly 2000.
3 MOFA has to take note of the country's potential vulnerability to climate changeand develop anticipatory adaptive strategies to offset its impacts. A droughtmanagement policy should be developed through establishment of informationsystems on changing climate conditions and patterns as a coping strategy.
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1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO PROGRAMME
The Ghana Governnent's policies and programmes for agricultural developmentduring the 1990's have been guided by the Medium Term Agricultural DevelopmentProgramme (MTADP). The MTADP which was launched in 1991 provided a 5-10year rolling programme designed to establish and support a market-led growth inagriculture. MTADP also projected annual agricultural growth of 4%. Despiteimprovements in agricultural growth in the mid 1990s the rate of agricultural growthand rural transformation envisaged under the strategy has been slow. Ghana's Vision2020 has projected an overall GDP growth rate of 8%. However, the 4% annualgrowth rate in agriculture is obviously inadequate.
It is in the light of this that the Accelerated Agricultural Growth and DevelopmentStrategy (AAGDS) has been designed to ensure a projected growth of 6% in order toachieve the goals of Vision 2020. The main components identified in the AAGDSinclude:- improving access to markets and promoting the production and export of selected
commodities;- facilitating access to agricultural technology;* facilitating and increasing access to rural finances;* providing rural infrastructure and utilities; and* building institutional capacity.
The achievement of the above goals requires concerted implementation strategythat will involve the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) and other identifiablestakeholders in the agricultural sector.
The National Environmental Policy aims at ensuring a sound management ofresources and the environment. It seeks a reconciliation between economic planningand environmental development with the view to achieving sustainable development.The policy seeks to inter alia achieve sustainable development by requiring priorenvironmental impact assessments of new investments and developments.
Environmental impact assessment as a tool aims at supporting the goals ofenvironmental management and sustainable development and integration ofenvironmental management and economic decisions at the earliest stages of planningan undertaking, programme or investment.
To attain this goal, government decisions covering policies, plans andprogrammes-such as the Agricultural Services Sector Investment Programme(AgSSIP)-which could have significant direct and indirect effects on sustainabledevelopment should be subjected to Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). This(SEA) is an orderly systematic and responsive evaluation of the above mentioned interms of their likely effects on the environment including consideration of programme
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objectives, alternative means of achieving those objectives and adaption of theprogramme to mitigate and manage adverse environmental consequences.
Assessment of undertakings is a statutory requirement under the EPA Act 1994,Act 490 and Environmental Assessment Regulations LI 1652, 1999. The AgSSIP hasalso been classified Category B Project by the International Development Association(IDA) for Strategic Enviromental Assessment (SEA). It is therefore in fulfilment ofthese requirements that this assessment has been prepared.
The assessment attempts to address the following key issues;* Direct implication of AgSSIP on the utilisation of natural resources.* Significant indirect implications for the biophysical environment and the ability of
government to manage natural resources.* Explicit policy content of AgSSIP on relevant aspects of ecologically sustainable
development and the environment.* Requirement that EIAs would be undertaken for projects emanating from AgSSIP.* Identification of likely biophysical impacts related to the projects to be induced.
1.2 PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES
The Agricultural Services Sector Investment Program (AgSSIP) is the vehiclefor implementing the Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Development Strategy(AAGDS) for achieving the goals of Vision 2020 to make Ghana a prosperous middleincome country by year 2020. The aim of the strategy is to reduce poverty andimprove food security in the rural sector through the provision of essential publicservices and creating a secure enabling environment for sustainable and equitablegrowth in the rural areas while protecting the physical and social environments.
To realise these objectives, the agricultural sectors current growth rate of 2-3%per year has to increase to at least 5-6% per year.
This implies the expansion and intensification of agricultural production anddiversification. This would in turn place a lot of pressure on the natural resource baseon which agriculture depends.
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2.0 DESCRIPTION OF AgSSIP
2.1 PROGRAMME COMPONENTS
AgSSIP is a long-term programme aimed at supporting the Government'sagricultural development goals by rationalising the sectoral public expenditure and therole of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) and other agencies closelyrelated to agricultural development, in addition to improving the effectiveness inpolicy formulation, regulations, and service provision in the sector. AgSSIPcomprises some of the core elements of support, that should be provided effectively bythe public sector to the farming community and related business enterprises, in amarket-based economy thus allowing them to make their contribution to meeting theGovernment's growth targets in the sector.
AgSSIP is to be a multi-year programme, in which all the elements may not startat the same time. Potential phasing depends on the resources available and thereadiness of the implementing agencies to carry out the subprogrammes and projectsalloted to them, and based on negotiations between the Govermment and otherpotential financiers.
AgSSIP is divided into four thematic groups of subprogrammes and projectscongruent with the units responsible for their implementation and corresponding to themain foci or outputs expected. The thematic groups are:
(a) Agricultural Support Services(b) Institutional and Regulatory Improvement and Capacity Building(c) Development of farmer-based organizations; and(d) Strengthening of agricultural education and training
2.1.1 Agricultural Support Services
AgSSIP would support enhancement of the efficiency of public agriculturalservices in a manner that would increase production-while maintaining or improvingthe natural resource base through the following subprogrammes and projects:
(i) Agricultural Research Subprogramme would support the strengtheningof National Agricultural Research System (NARS) by providing funds forexpanded research programmes and technology development on priorityresearch themes, improving research organization and decision making in thesystem, promoting closer ties with the extension service and end-users;improving management of human resources; and streamlining and improvingresearch infrastructure; and;
(ii) Agricultural Extension and Gender Equity Subprogramme wouldprovide financial support for completing the unified extension system for the
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different subsectors of agricultural development, for implementing thedecentralized structure of extension by making the Directorate of AgriculturalExtension Services/Women in Agriculture Directorate (DAES/W1AD)operationally effective, for formation of research and extension linkages andinvolving the farmer organizations and District Assemblies in the planning anddelivery of extension services. Specific projects supporting the extensionprogramme would include projects for promoting and training in agriculture(bee-keeping), in agro-forestry areas, and Women-in-Agriculture and YouthDevelopment;
(iii) Crop production and protection services would be promoted throughthree specific projects. viz., development and distribution of improved seedsand planting material for selected crops; development of selected horticulturalcrops for export; promotion of selected food crops; the national soil fertilityinitiative; promotion of integrated pest management (IPM), and implemtnationof phytosanitary regulatory services, all closely linked with research andextension subprograms;
(iv) Livestock services aim at enabling small-scale livestock producersaccess to essential services that would help them improve their production andgenerate higher incomes. This would include further rationalization of publicorganization and expansion of services; strengthening of strategic disease andepidemics control; privatization of veterinary services; and support toimprovement of local breeds, fodder production, and diary development;
(v) Fisheries Project under the programme would support the activitiesstarted under the Fisheries Capacity Building Project but concentrate onexpanding aquaculture support services.
(vi) Sustainable land use subprogramme would finance activities relating toimplementation of ag action plan prepared to address soil degradation andmaintenance or improvement of soil fertility, soil and water conservation,integration of cropping and livestock systems, and involvement of farmers,including women, in these issues;
(vii) Rural technology information systems prograrn would aim at strengtheningthe capacity of the Rural Technology Unit at the Agricultural EngineeringServices Directorate (AESD) to provide substantially improved and expandedinformation services in farming and fisheries areas, as well as in post-harvesttechnology. Similarly, the collection and dissemination of agricultural andmarketing data would be strengthened at the Planning, Budgeting,Coordination, Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate (PBCMED).
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2.1.2 Institutional and regulatory development and capacity building
AgSSIP would provide support for institutional and regulatory developmentand capacity building through several projects, viz,
(i) Institutional capacity of MOFA Directorates and Other MDAs:All MOFA Directorates, Department of Cooperatives in the Ministry of Labour andSocial Welfare, and Ghana Irrigation Authority would receive substantial training toupgrade their skills in planning, management and technical specialization, as well assupporting equipment and facilities, through a specific project; and another projectwould help financing of building up an agricultural statistical system in Ghana;
(ii) Promotion of farmer-based organizaitons (FBOs), would aim at increasing thecapacity of the Department Cooperatives to carry out its promotion and trainingfunctions, strengthen viable cooperatives and other farmer organizations, and helppromote establishment of vertical structures for these association to allow them togradually become capable to carrying out effective promotion, training, andsupervision functions;
(iv) Capacity Enhancement of Agricultural Education Project would make fundsavailable to strengthen the capacity of farmer institutes, agricultural colleges,management institutes and universities to provide programmes that meet the needs ofadvancing agricultural commerce;
(v) Standards for Agricultural Training Project would design and establishstandardized specification and grades for priority grains and other produce, andweights and measures for their trading; and
(vi) Programme Administration. Programme funds would be used to maintain asmall but important unit in MOFA to take care of common administrative functionsand help develop the necessary administrative and financial management skills in thevarious departments, agencies and field units that are responsible for theimplementation of the subprogrammes and projects.
2.1.3 Development of the agricultural commerce sector
AgSSIP has several programs that help improve the downstream activitiesrelating to agricultural production and essentially belonging to the private sector. Theprojects planned to promote these activities would include:
(i) Improved distribution of agricultural inputs through training of inputsuppliers and creating linkages between buyers, suppliers, extensionservice and fanner associations;
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(ii) Reduction of post-harvest losses through advice for construction ofstorage and processing facilities and packing houses in the countryside;
(iii) Promoting manufacturing of agricultural implements by local entrepreneurs forall needs of the smallholders and owners of traction animals; and
(iv) Development of entrepreneurship through training of farmers and potentialentrepreneurs in agro-business management.
2.2 DESCRIPTION OF THE "BOUNDARIES TO WHICH STRATEGICENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (SEA) IS LIMITED
Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEAs) are undertaken for prescribedrange of policies, plans and programmes (PPPs) in the course of reaching decisionswhich significantly affect the environment or the achievement of ecologicallysustainable development.
Three groups of policies, plans and programmes to which SEAs can be appliedare recognised. These are sectoral, regional and indirect issues.
Sectoral issues include agricultural, energy generation and use, fishing, forestry,housing, industry, mining, recreation, resource use, transportation, waste disposal andwater supply.
Regional issues include air quality, coastal management, conservation,rural/urban planning, site selection for major developments, transport, infrastructureand water quality.
Indirect issues include education, financial/fiscal policies, market pricing,science and technology, taxation and trade.
Because AgSSIP's activities covers all these three areas a strategic environmentalassessment is imperative.
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3.0 EXISTING ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION OBJECTIVES ANDCONDITIONS
3.1 ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS RELATED TO AGRICULTURE
It is generally recognised that the integrity of the environment and strength ofGhana's economy is related to the efficient use and management of available land.Land management is recognised as central in addressing environmental and resourceproblems in Ghana. A study undertaken as part of the preparation of the NationalEnvironmental Action Plan (NEAP) in 1990 established that costs of environmentaldegradation are significant. The total estimated annual losses based on 1988 figures,amounted to 41.7 billion cedis, equivalent to 4 percent of total Gross DomesticProduct (GDP). Degradation related to crop and livestock production activitiesimposes the greatest cost, at least 28.8 billion cedis or 69 percent of the total cost ofdegradation. These are costs largely attributable to productivity losses arising fromsoil degradation, soil erosion and loss of tree cover and to a lesser extent rangelanddegradation due to the grazing of livestock. Land degradation related to agriculture ismanifested in all the agro-ecological zone of the country.
Forestry follows after crops and livestock as the economic activity that sufferssignificantly high environmental cost. Loss of forest through bush fires, logging,fuelwood extraction, charcoal burning and encroachment was estimated 10.8 billioncedis or 26 percent of total enviromnental cost. Agriculture as an economic activity isdependent on natural resource base and the environment. The country's agriculture iscurrently operating at about 20 percent of its potential.
There is also a strong link between agriculture and rural poverty. 54 percent ofGhana's poor are food crop farmers. Increased agricultural production has beenachieved primarily by farmers using more extensive farming methods. 57 percent ofthe total land area of Ghana is said to be suitable for agricultural production; that is 13million hectares out of total land area of 23.8 million hectares. In 1994 only 5.3million hectares, that is 39 percent of total land area suitable for cultivation was undercultivation. There are indications of land scarcity in certain areas of the country whilein other areas, increased land use intensity has reduced the fallow period.
One of the objectives of AgSSIP is to increase agricultural production from 2-3percent growth rate to 5-6 percent rate of growth. This significant increase inagricultural practices will have potential impacts in terms of soil erosion,deforestation, bushfires, chemical contamination, water resources health and safetyproblems unless the necessary mitigating measures are taken to address the sideeffects.
With increased activities, institutional capacity to manage natural resources andthe environment has to be enhanced correspondingly to ensure that the objectives ofAgSSIP and the goals of Vision 2020 are not short-lived.
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3.2 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION OBJECTIVES
The National Environmental Policy (NEP) adopted in 1991 as part of theNEAP broadly aims at ensuring sound management of resources and the environment,and avoiding any exploitation of these resources in a manner that might causeirreparable damage to the enviromnent.
The NEP ensures reconciliation between economic development and naturalresource conservation and makes a high quality environment a key element supportingthe country's economic and social development.
The policy seeks to:
maintain ecosystems and ecological processes essential for the functioning ofthe biosphere;ensure sound management of natural resources and the environment;adequately protect humans, animals and plants, their biological communitiesand habitats against harmful impacts and destructive practices, preservebiological diversity;guide development in accordance with quality requirements to prevent, reduce,and as far as possible, eliminate pollution and nuissances;integrate environmental considerations in sectoral, structural and socio-economic planning at the national, regional, district and grassroots levels;fimd common solution to environmental problems in West Africa, Africa andthe world at large.
These objectives are based on the principles of:
* optimum sustainable yield in the use of resources and ecosystems;* use most cost-effective means to achieve environmental objectives;* use of incentives in addition to regulatory measures;* delegation of decision-making and action to the most appropriate level of
government;* the polluter pays for the cost of preventing and eliminating pollution and nuisance
caused;* public participation in environmental decision making;* international cooperation.
Other policies like the Forest and Wildlife and Land policies have similarobjectives.
In the implementation of the NEP and NEAP some successes have been achievedbut they have to be built upon and intensified to absorb the pressures to be created bythe implementation of the Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Development
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Strategy. Some of the measures initiated to help arrest and reverse the negativeimpacts in land management include:
* Adoption of an environmental policy backed by an Environmental Action Plan andstrengthening of the environmental regulation agency.
* Development of environmental information system involving the key landinformation data sets (topographic, meteorological, soil and land suitability, landcover/land use and land ownership) in digital form essential for land use planning,topographic meteorological, soil and land suitability, land, cover/land use and landownership.
* Development of a land policy to rationalise land tenure and ensure sustainable useof land.
* Preparation of a national biodiversity strategy to arrest deterioration of biodiversityresources.
* Establishment of land and water management unit within the Ministry of Food andAgriculture which introduces land and water management technologies to farmers.
* Implementation of Natural Resource Management Programme which has the goalof protecting, rehabilitating and sustainably managing national land, forest andwildlife resource through collaborative management and to sustainably increasethe income of rural communities who own these resources.
- The preparation and adoption of a National Soil Fertility Action Plan to arrestdeclining soil fertility.
3.3 EXISTING ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS
Most activities of AgSSIP would be implemented on a country-wide scale withsome interventions restricted to specific locations. The country can be classified intofour well-defined agro-ecological zones: coastal savanna, forest, forest-savannatransition and guinea savanna.
The coastal savanna zone is low-lying and covers about 16,000km2 or aboutseven percent of the total area of Ghana. Rainfall ranges from 600mm to 1150mm perannum, with the lowest rainfall in the country experienced in the eastern part of thezone. The zone is mainly grass and scrub with soils rather poor on the whole. Themost useful soils, agriculturally, are the friable savanna-ochrosols. Staples such asmaize, cassava and vegetables are widely produced in this zone which also supportslivestock, including cattle. The south-eastern part of the zone is home to a thrivingshallot-growing industry.
The forest zone covers five regions of the country and extends over a total of84,000km2 or approximately 36 percent of the country 32000km2 remain under forestreserves, while the rest taken up by farmland and land undergoing rejuvenation underbush-fallow agriculture. The zone enjoys the highest rainfall in the country withannual rainfall ranging from 1150mm to over 2000mm. The soils are not inherentlyvery fertile and are generally not suitable for continuous cultivation under
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mechanization. The zone supports the cocoa crop as well as starchy staples, notablycassava, plantain and cocoyam.
The forest-savanna transitional zone cover regions north of the forest zone.Most parts of the zone are between 120m and 275m above sea level and rainfallaverage 1450mm per year. The forest vegetation has given way to derived savanna.The soils are fairly fertile and support a wide variety of crops. Maize, yam andtobacco are important crops with staples such as cassava and to a lesser extentplantains are widely cultivated. Large-scale commercial farming is widespread in thezone and has a high potential for improved agriculture.
The guinea savanna zone covers about, 152,000km2 approximately 57 percentof Ghana. The zone has only one rainy season which starts in late April or early Mayreaching a peak in late August or early September and tail off in October. This isfollowed by a long, dry period in which no crops, including pasture, grow exceptunder irrigation. The soils are generally poor. The better soils are found in the floodplains and along river banks. Rice is by far the most important cash crop in the zoneand is produced in the valley bottoms. Cotton, another important cash crop is moreimportant to small-scale farmers. Millet, sorghum and yam are principal food crops inthe zone, but maize, groundnuts and vegetables are widely produced. Livestockproduction is an important activity in the zone with over 70 percent of the cattle, sheepand goats of the country found here.
Ghana's population doubled over the 24 year period, 1960 to 1984, from 6.7million in 1960 to 12.3 million in 1984. In 1984 the density was 52 person per squarekilometre. Projections indicate the population is likely to reach 20 million by 2000, 27million by 2010, and 33.6 million by the year 2020.
The population can be described as a young population with most of the peopleunder the age of fifteen. The 1984 census showed that 45 percent of the populationwas under the age 15.
The population growth rate in 1980 was 3.3% and 2.8% in 1995. The majoremployment sectors in Ghana are agriculture, services and industial sectors. About40 percent of total income for all Ghanaians is derived from agriculture.
The urban population in 1994 was 6.1 million out of a total population of 17million with a growth rate of 20 percent. The per capita income in 1994 was 410dollars.
The structure of Ghana's economy in 1994 showed that agriculture contributed45.5%, services 38%, and industry 15.8% compared to that of 1990, where agriculturewas 58%, services 30% and industry 12%.
Agriculture is the most important activity in terms of spatial extent andemployment. In 1995 it employed about 47% of the population economically active
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population or 2.95 million. The major agricultural land use systems being tree andarable cropping. Agricultural production is made up of traditional export crops (cocoaand oil palm), traditional non-export subsistence crops (yam, plantain) and recentlynon-traditional export crops (fruits, vegetables and root crops). The rearing oflivestock on free range is common throughout the country, however withconcentrations in the drier or grassland areas of the country.
Some changing trends can be observed in agricultural land use systems interms of technologies employed, crop emphasis, scale of operations and commercialorientation. Some of these trends are:
declining trends in the production of cocoa compared to the past;increasing emphasis on environmental issues of sustainable developmentthrough the conservation of land resources including forest, water andbiodiversity;the cultivation of non-traditional export crop such as pineapples in terms ofvolume of production area;changing of crop emphasis in the case of re-emergence of oil palm as a cashand export crop due to declining cocoa production and adoption of morenutrient and moisture efficient crops such as cassava becoming an importantsubsistence and cash crop in the forest zone.
3.4 CONSTRAINTS TO SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
In Ghana, environmental constraints to agricultural development includedrought, soil erosion and bushfires.
Drought of varying duration have affected Ghana in the past. The most recentoccurrences are those of 1970, 1975, 1977 and 1983/4. The northern savanna areasface the most risk. Bushfires occur annually in the dry areas of the country and aremainly caused by human and cultural factors. The impact is widespread and severeduring drought years. Line squalls occur during the start of the rains between Marchand May each year. Floods are localised and limited to low lying areas during wetperiods.
The impact of soil erosion is not dramatic but widespread in all areas of thecountry with the increasing rate of deforestation. Soil erosion is widespread in Ghanato the extent that areas that are not degraded at present are being threatened. Soilerosion was noticed in Ghana nearly seven decades ago and over the past threedecades, the phenomenon has become an important form of land degradation inGhana. Soil erosion occurs in the form of sheet erosion through surface run-off andrill erosion in shifting micro-channels and gully erosion in permanent channels. About70% of the country is subject to moderate to severe sheet or gully erosion and about40% of this land is in the savanna areas.
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Declining soil fertility is now a serious constraint to agricultural production.Ghanaian soils are developed on thoroughly weathered parent materials and have beenleached for a long time. A larger part of the original nutrients from the parent rockhave been lost. As a result of population increase, pressure on land has reduced the 8-15 years natural fallow period, that is required to regenerate soil fertility after 1-3years cropping, to 2-3 years.
The most widespread system of agricultural land use is the traditional bushfallow system of cultivation which involves slashing and burning of forest andgrassland and rotation of the cultivated plots over a number of years. The system issustainable under conditions of low population density and abundant land. Associatedwith the increase in population the demand for subsistence agricultural cultivation hasincreased along with the demand for cash crops and urbanization and infrastructuraldevelopment. This has resulted in intensification of the bush fallow system in terms offrequency of cultivation.
Land tenure vary in different parts of Ghana but in all cases they are guided bythe basic principle that, most land is communally owned and vested in a head onbehalf of the land owning group. Several factors affect the proper use of land and theassurance of maintenance and promotion of conversation use. The common problemsof limited commitment to land improvement and conservation associated withcommon ownership militate against sustainable use.
Competing use of the same piece of land is also an issue in land managementin Ghana. A current example is the loss of agricultural land to surface mining creatingsocial problems.
With the frequency of droughts, water use is critical to agricultural production.This has led to the cultivation of watersheds, river and stream banks and beds leadingto the drying up and siltation of rivers and streams.
Introduced technologies in agriculture including the use of machinery for landpreparation and harvesting as well as the use of chemicals for soil improvements or forcontrol of weeds and pests pose a threat to biodiversity.
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3.5 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES OF AGSSIP MEASURESAND STRATEGIES
For the goals of AAGDS and AgSSIP to be realised, there would be increase inagricultural activities. This means more intensive and or extensive use of land,increase in the livestock numbers, increase in use of agro-chemicals, fertilizers,veterinary drugs, hormones, etc.
Generally, agricultural practices generate certain potential impacts on differentaspects of the environment (physical resources, ecological resources, human usevalues and quality of life values).
Typical impacts of agriculture on physical resources include hazard of soilerosion if proper mitigating measures are not taken. These in turn impair downstreamwater use. There is also hazard of soil fertility loss from physical stresses, loss of rainwater infiltration and micro effect on increasing temperature.
Impacts on ecological resources include loss of vegetative cover and associatedwildlife habitat, encroachment hazards on nearby forests and hazards from pesticidesand other toxic substances.
Human use values include impairment of downstream water quality and ofbeneficial water uses from silt runoff, including community water supply, fisheries inaddition to sedimentation and flooding hazards.
Agricultural practices which also impact on quality of life values include loss oftourism/aesthetic quality/aesthetic values, disruption of socio-economic condition oflocal population and increased sanitation and disease hazards due to increasedpopulation densities.
The MTADP, AAGDs and AgSSIP all note that for agricultural objectives to beachieved the issue of the environment has to be addressed.
The MTADP had the goal of exploiting Ghana's considerable agriculturalresources in a way that is consistent with environmental sustainability and sustainablegrowth. The plan also acknowledged the negative impacts of agriculture.
The AAGDS from which AgSSIP has evolved, notes that cross-cutting issues likeenvironmental concerns need to be addressed. An analysis of action impact matrix ofpolicy measures against environmental impacts generated for selected elements of theAAGDS showed an overall positive impact for AAGDS as shown in Matrix 1.
AgSSIP also acknowledges the importance of natural resource and environmentalissues. During consultations in the preparation of the programme, the environmentalconservation was identified as an issue to be resolved in promotion of agriculture. A
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call was made for promotion of environrmentally friendly agricultural practices. Theconsultations also noted the cause of poor performance of agriculture as the result ofcontinuos practice of inappropriate farm systems and cultures detrimental to theenvironment and at variance with principle of sustainability. AgS SIP has positiveenvironmental aspects built into the programme. This is because the programme is notaimed at direct agricultural production but making MOFA and its agencies a facilitatorof agricultural development through institutional and capacity building activities.
AgSSIP's overall development objectives of raising rural incomes and reducingpoverty may be positive for the environment as poverty has important environmentalconsequences. Poverty affects the environment in a situation where environmentalresources are exploited at a rapid rate than may be socially desirable and create a dis-incentive to invest in land resources. The environment in turn affects poverty whenenvironmental degradation contributes to the risks of impoverishment, low on and off-farm growth and less wealth accumulation. In such a situation, the poor would berelegated to more environmentally fragile natural systems and face higher levels ofresource productivity decline through soil degradation, loss of tree cover, etc. Of thenearly 32% of Ghanaians classified as poor in 1992, about 75% lived in the rural areasand depended essentially on agriculture for a living.
The programme also would aim at promoting farming systems and practices thatwill ensure sustainable use of the natural resource base. This would be carried outthrough the promotion of extension systems that would generate and disseminatetechnologies for accelerating agricultural growth on a sustainable basis. AgSSIP re-emphasises the national path to pest and disease control and will promote the furtherdevelopment and application of pest and disease management control options withminimal or no adverse impact at all.
The key performance indicators of the programme include some environmentalparameters, that is the reduced rate of land degradation and reduced over-exploitationof fishery resources. The environmental health and safety of farmers should beincluded especially in areas where agro-chemical use is perceived to increase..
AgSSIP acknowledges ineffective resource management in certain naturalresources sub-sectors such as forestry and fisheries. The programme will strengthenthe capcity of district assemblies in planning and implementing agriculturaldevelopment and enviromnental conservation programmes. The Ghana Capacity 21Programme, a UNDP program of capacity building in economic development andenvironmental management at the district assembly level, will complement AgSSIPinitiatives.
The AgSSIP research sub-programme will support environmental conservation bypromoting research into sustainable intensification of farming systems to conserve andenhance the natural resource base. The agrculture, fisheries and forestry sectordirectorates of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture would be strengthened by
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creating new technical specialists positions in natural resources, social science andmonitoring and evaluation.
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I
ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION IMPACT MATRIX FOR SELECTED ELEMENTS OFThe Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Development Strategy)
POLICY MEASURES ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS SOCIALIMPACT
.__________ SImpacts & Soil Water Forestry Coastal HUMANDegradation Resources and Zone IMPACTS
Wildlife Resources1. Promotion of Selected Products ThroughImproved Access to MarketsTrade Liberalization +Improving Knowledge of International AgricultureMarketsImproved access to finance commodity trade +/- +/-Development of Infrastructure - roads, railways,handling and storageStrengthening farmers marketing organisations +/- +/-Improved Marketing and Shipping Information +/- +1-Strategy to Promote Investment by big AgribusinessCompanies2. Development and Improved Access toTechnology for Sustainable Natural ResourceManagementLanduse Policy Based on Land Capabilities ++Shift from Rainfed Agriculture to Irrigation:a. Surface +/- +/- +/-b. GroundwaterEmphasis on Landuse Intensification +/- +/- +/-Decentralization of MOFA to DAs and Assignment +i +/- +/- +/-of Provision of Extension Services to DAs _
3. Improved Access to Agricultural Financial _
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Services
Group Lending + + + +Inventory Credit + + + +Nucleus/Outgrower Scheme +/- +/- +/- +/-Special Tax Relief + + + +Train Farmer Groups/Trade Associations, i.e. Input + _ + +Improvement, Distribution, etc.4. Improved Rural InfrastructureFeeder Roads +/-Water Transport + +/ -+/-
Air TransportFish LandingsPost Hatvest Facilites + + +Agro Processing +/- +7-5. Enhancement of Human Resources &International CapacityTraining of DAs + + + + +Technical Assistance to DAs + + + + +Extension + + + + +Formal and Non-formal Education + + + + +Training Public Sector + + + + +
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Priority research programmes would concentrate on:
* national priority programmes to support research such as soil surveys andagricultural engineering that cut across agro-ecological zones.
* natural resource management programmes at the level of agro-ecological zoneswhich will be designed to provide an integrated approach to solving high priorityproblems in soil and water management especially soil fertility. This aspect ofresearch will work in close collaboration with the National Soil Fertility Initiative(NSFI).
* on farm adaptive research programmes will be organised for each agro-ecologicalzone and designed to provide a vehicle for location specific adaptation oftechnologies.
In the area of upstream research, AgSSIP would provide support for thedevelopment and implementation of a National Strategy in Biotechnology andregulatory framework for biosafety and intellectual property rights.
The agricultural technology diffusion sub-programme will concentrate onprovision of extension services which will refocus on the management of naturalresources rather than the parochial emphasis on crops and livestock. Dissemination ofimproved soil and water conservation methods using community oriented andparticipatory approaches to rural development will be promoted.
To promote sustainable landuse, AgSSIP through the NSFI and other developmentprogrammes would support activities addressing soil and water conservation,maintenance and improvement of soil fertility, integration of livestock and croppingsystems and involvement of farmers including women in these activities. The NSFI isexpected to build on the valuable lessons of the land and water managementcomponent of Ghana Environmental Resource Management Project (GERMP) andSRMP of the NRMP by supporting research and extension activities in fertilizer trialsaimed at making recommendations for specific soil types in agro-ecological zonesinstead of the blanket recommendations across soil types and agro-ecological zones.Under NSFI, a training programme for tractor operators and subject matter specialistswould be designed and executed to mitigate land degradation from tractor operations.
The crop production and protection services sub-programme will also providetraining for farmers, pesticide producers, importers and distributors in the proper useand application of pesticides.
The livestock programme of AgSSIP also has positive aspects for the environment.Improvement of communal grazing areas would be undertaken through theintroduction of hardy, nutritive and adaptable forage legumes to improve animalperformance through better nutrition and prevent environmental degradation andimprove soil fertility. A study would also be commissioned to assess the degree of
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access of the poor to common resource and identify good practice in community basedmanagement of communal areas.
The programme acknowledges that there may be negative effects of tsetse flycontrol on the environment as human and livestock density increases. Environmentaldamage may result from overgrazing and overexploitation of crop which could leadto land degradation and loss of bio-diversity. In the past, tsetse fly control haddepended mainly on the use of harmful pesticides. The tsetse control programme willhowever promote the use of non-polluting methods in environmentally and sociallysustainable manner and also ensure that detailed plans for community-based tsetsecontrol would be prepared to include environmental impact assessment of the controlactivity.
The agricultural engineering services programme will support the development,introduction and widespread use of intermediate technology tools and implements thatreduce the drudgery of farm work. This will help reduce negative environmentalpractices, e.g. use of fire and heavy machinery in field preparation. Animal traction isrecognized as a better option than tractors since it impacts less on the soil. Animaltraction has already been introduced into the country and its use will need to be scaledup. The agricultural statistics service sub-programme will involve the conducting anannual sample survey of agriculture (ASSA) to estimate total production and landcultivated for six key crops. The inclusion of environmental aspects in ASSA willhelp monitor and evaluate programme activities on the environment. Furthermore,ASSA will help to gather, process and disseminate data and information in formatsusable by policy and decision makers.
The sub-programme will support the development of agricultural informationsystem using geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing technologies.Further ASSA will support the development of Early Warning Food InformationSystem (EWFIS). This will help integrate environmental issues in agriculturalplanning and development.. This activity should take advantage of work undertakenunder GERMP especially the soil information, meteorological information, landuse/land cover mapping and land suitability map of major crops grown in Ghana andthose systems to be developed under NRMP. Funds should be provided to make thedata sets accessible to the agricultural sector.
Agriculture generally is dependent on climate whether it is rainfed or irrigated andthus any change in climatic condition can adversely or positively affect agricultureconditions. The achievement of the objectives of AgSSIP can be seriouslyundermined by climate change and this has to be factored into the implementation ofthe programme.
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4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT SYNTHESIS AND EVALUATION ANDPROPOSED MITIGATION MEASURES
To determine the enviromnental impact of AgSSIP the policy impact matrix wasused to determine the environmental acceptability of the programme activities of eachof the AgSSIP components to isolate risks and uncertainties of AgSSIP. For eachprogramme activity, environmental impact was determined in terms of threeenvironmental parameters.
- potential ecological implications- potential implications for natural resources- potential socio-economic/health implications
The AgSSIP interventions were matched against the environmental parameters andthe impact determined out of three types of impacts:
* + for perceived beneficial impact* - for perceived significant adverse impact* o for no perceived significant impact or impact largely residual.
4.1 AGRICULTURAL SUPPORT SERVICES
4.1.1 Agricultural Research Interventions
Impacts
Overall the environmental impacts of agricultural research interventions(research governance and management, sustainable and competitive researchfinancing, support to priority research programmes, and investment in scientificinformation systems, human resources development and research infrastructure) underAgSSIP from the impact matrix analysis indicate that it does not have perceivedsignificant impacts. Impacts if they should occur would be largely ephemeral. Likelypotential adverse impacts will be in the area of socio-economic aspects but theprovision of a social science specialist on the research teams will address any concernsthat are likely to occur and ensure that they are socially compatible. The developmentobjectives of the agricultural research interventions is positive in environmental termsas it seeks sustainable intensification of fanning systems to conserve and enhance thenatural resource base.
To ensure that research activities are environmentally compatible, naturalresource and social science specialists will be engaged by the Agriculture, Forestryand Fisheries Sector Directorate (AFSSD) of the CSIR. This would ensure thatenvironmental aspects will be injected into technological packages to be developed forfield implementation.
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The development of a minimum critical mass in knowledge and skills in thecountry under AgSSIP for evaluating and assessing relevant biotechnology tools andproducts is positive for the enviromnent, as there would be expertise nationally todetermine impacts on biodiversity and promotesits widespead use without imposingany measurable harm to the environment, animals and humans. The researchcomponent would also have a natural resource management programme which will beorganised at the level of agro-ecological zones and provide an integrated approach tosolving high profile problems in soil and water management especially soil fertility.These programmes would be backed by ongoing activities under a number of similarprogrammes namely the savanna resources management component of NRMP, thenatural resources management project, land and water management project.. The sub-programme will seek to mainstream and monitor environment concerns into nationalresearch activities.
4.1.2 Agricultural Technology Diffusion
Impacts
This intervention would give rise to largely beneficial effects as it wouldconsolidate the gains made in a previous project, National Agricultural ResearchProject (NARP). The support to be provided under this component is in the form ofcivil works for office buildings and accommodation, transport, equipment, staff andfarmer training, study tours, technical assistance, linkage with research and agri-business and funds for operational expenditures and support to the private sector toprovide or co-provide extension services. This component would mainstream anumber of issues which include articulation of national agricultural extension policy,client empowerment, private sector participation, gender and equity considerations,role of agricultural staff in the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS and linkages withsources of agricultural technology and management and organisation of extensionservices into agricultural development programmes of the country.
This provides a more comprehensive and integrated extensive delivery notlimited only to agricultural matters but related issues like HIV/AIDS which will givean overall positive impacts for farming communities and advance rural development.
The gender and equity considerations would greatly improve the lots of womenin agriculture and their dependants. The involvement of the private sector in theprovision of certain services will enhance efficiency and make innovations moreaccessible to the larger farming community and those in rural development.
Mitigation
The refocus of agricultural extension services delivery on management ofnatural resources in the provision of extension services is positive in environmentalterms, as improved soil and water conservation methods using community orientedand participatory approaches to rural development will be disseminated. This would
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ensure that the resource base is conserved and make farmers invest in the land anddiscard traditional slash and burn practices. The linkage to the Natural ResourceManagement Programme especially the Savanna Resources Management componentand other related projects such as the DANIDA-funded Land and Water ManagementProject will help arrest land degradation which is widespread in the savanna andtransitional areas of the country.
In the training of extension officers the environmental aspects should bereinforced.
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4.13 Crop Production and Protection Services
Impacts
This component under AgSSIP aims to promote economic growth and socialequity and ensure food security from crop production and processing activitiesparticularly small scale producers. The impact matrix analysis (Matrix 3) shows thatthe interventions under this component (development of planting materials for selectedcrops, promotion of production of selected food crops for food security, andpromotion of selected horticultural crops for export) may pose no significant adverseimpacts. . Interventions aimed at promoting increased production could lead to landdegradation, decline in soil fertility, pollution, decline in biodiversity, etc. Thepromotion of horticultural cropping may require taking away land meant for food cropproduction. This is certainly an area of conflict, which may have social, economic andenvironmental dimensions. If horticulture is practised under monocrop farmingsystems there could be problems associated with pest and disease outbreak. Crop lossto pest and disease, increased pesticide use and application, biodiversity loss ordecline, etc.
The interventions have some beneficial impacts in terms of potential implications fornatural resources and socio-economic conditions. The beneficial impacts include thepotential to improve the yield status of selected crops and add diversity to the speciesof crops under production and the animals available in the ecosystem.
Mitigation
The impacts can be mitigated through the in-built natural resourcemanagement programme of AgSSIP such as matching crop species and varieties withsite suitability criteria. The Soil Research Institute has developed soil suitability andsensitivity maps as well as soil utilization types for about 30 crops. These are veryuseful ecological tools/guide for matching crops to sites for which optimal growth canbe guaranteed and impacts on the environment can be ephemeral. Relatedprogrammes involve production of crop suited to the agro-ecological conditions ofeach area together with the integration of soil conservation technologies in the nationalextension programme and intensification of production. There is a wealth of bestpractices and experience in soil and water management which should be applicable inmost zones and under most cropping systems. The implementation of the National SoilFertility Initiative (NSFI) under AgSSIP will also help address environmentalproblems. The implementation of actions and activities under a yet to be preparedNational Action Programme to combat drought and desertification would complementefforts of the sub-programme.
AgSSIP will involve fertilizer trials aimed at making dosage and applicationrecommendations for specific soil types in the five agro-ecological zones instead ofthe current blanket recommendation across soil types and agro-ecological zones.
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Demonstrations will be conducted on strategic locations on farmers plots. Retailers offertilizers and extension personnel will also be trained on these recommendations withinformation to be disseminated through audio visual materials and through the printand electronic media. The training programme to be designed and executed for tractoroperations and subject matter specialists (SMS) would help mitigate land degradationfrom tractor operations. Training of pesticide producers, importers and distributorsand extension agents and the effective regulation and monitoring of their use will helpreduce pesticide hazard which could increase under increased farming with food cropsand horticulturals. There are well tested and effective pest and disease control options(e.g. cultural practices, biological control, IPM, etc.) which could be employed incrop production with minimal or no harm at all to the environment. Biocontrol agentsin use in the country include micro-organisms (Bacillus thuriengiensis), insectpredators and parasitoids. 1PM is a tested control strategy and it is currently applied ana number of crops including rice, legumes, fruits ad vegetables.4.1.4 Livestock Services
Impacts
T-he livestock services component of AgSSIP aims at promoting economicgrowth and social equity through animal health services delivery, livestock breedimprovement, enhanced dairy production, range management, and livestockdevelopment planning. Sustainable growth in the livestock sector would be achievedthrough reforms in administration and governance (decentralization) and aredistribution of tasks between the public and the private sectors in the fields of animalproduction and animal health services. The livestock services component from theimpact matrix analysis (Matrix 3) like other components of AgSSIP in terms ofenvironmental impact can be said generally to have no perceived significant impactsor have only residual impacts. Promotion of livestock production under AgSSIP wouldresult in some significant beneficial impacts. .
Promotion of livestock service may havesignificant socio-economic andhealth implications as animal disease situation may increase, management andmaintenance of natural resource base may decline, traditional agricultural practicesmay be adversely affected, and effects on public health and safety may rise.
Unreported and uncontrolled incidence of livestock disease could lead todisease outbreak over a wide area. Genetically improved breeds of animals couldpossess certain beneficial attributes and qualities such as resistance or tolerance to pestand diseases, increased milk production. On the other hand however, these improvedanimals may have reduced resistance and may be susceptibleto hitherto commondiseases and pests which may become important and/or even virulent. There couldalso be the risk of displacement of local breeds with improved ones which could leadto biodiversity decline and loss. Traditional values and practices in certaincommunities may abhor such genetic change (i.e, breed improvement programmes).The promotion of sheep and goat could be environmentally risky (removal of vegetalcover, trampling, etc.) in areas where animals graze and browse freely.
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The introduction of new species of forage legumes into an existing vegetationcould bring about an initial imbalance in plant-animal community relationshipsincluding competition. This can lead to changes in pest and disease status andelimination of less competitive and/or susceptible species, decline in ecologicalintegrity and biodiversity status.
Mitigation
The impact of increased pressure of livestock numbers on grazing resourcescan be curtailed through AgSSIP initiative on the improvement of communal grazingareas. The study to assess the degree of access of the poor to these common resources,and identification of good practice in community based management of communalareas would help mitigate potential overgrazing that would result.
Improved breeds must be continuously monitored in order to determine weakattributes and qualities to achieve the desired vigour. In the area of animal health,animal health management and organization and the disease investigation, surveillanceand control activities under AgSSIP would help to identify and detect any potentialproblems early enough.
In the area of tsetse control the use of non-polluting methods (impregnatedscreens, traps, individual application of long duration insecticides) would be beneficialin environmental terms, in addition to establishing and maintaining low tsetse flydensity in already settled areas in an environmentally and socially sustainable mannerbased on community participation and management. Livestock breed improvementprogrammes may result in new breeds which would be resistant or tolerant to bothbiotic (pest and diseases) and abiotic (climatic) influences and therefore expandanimal production to other ecological zones.
The proposal for detailed plans for community-based tsetse control insubsequent years to be subjected to environmental impact assessment is laudable.However environmental regulatory agencies such as EPA should be involved in earlystages to give guidance, and to ensure and monitor implementation ofrecommendations in the environment assessment report.
Precautionary measures have been designed under AgSSIP to pilot testinnovations and introductions of new species of forage legumes and technologiesto besure of their environmental soundness before scaling up such programmes.
4.1.5 Aquaculture Development and Extension
Impacts
AgSSIP will support aquaculture development and extension with theobjective of increasing aquaculture fish production through private sector initiative.
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Aquaculture is among the least developed/patronised occupations in Ghana andexperience in this area is scanty. The promotion of increased farm raised fish by theprivate sector for local and export market has potential to make aquaculture a commonpractice with initial serious problems.
The establishment of support services in aquaculture development will reducethe financial risks on investment in culture fisheries, attract investment and increasefish availability as protein source to the populace, reduce import of fish and make theindustry export- oriented.
Impoundment of water for pond culture could improve the ground water level,receive run-offs and check sediment transport and deposit into rivers and streams andenhance ecological/life support systems. Integration with crop production andlivestock could increase overall agriculture productivity and reduce water-useconflicts.
Provision of aquaculture support services would potentially increase wateravailability and encourage more people, mostly the rural poor, into water harvestingand fish farming in simple ponds and thereby reduce dependence on limited resourcesfrom land. The main concern here is the potential adverse impact on water qualityfrom fish seed, drugs and hormones, nutrient enrichment, and consequent degradationof productive systems including biodiversity loss. It could also occasionally raiseconcerns for public health as increase in water space would potentially increase theincidence of water borne diseases. There exist training materials covering bestpractices in aquaculture management from FAO, the World Bank and other donorsand research institutes and these may serve to provide the initial needed skills andknowledge to farmers. The programme would assist in developing environmentalguidelines for aquaculture development in the country.
Aquaculture animal health services will monitor the incidence of fish diseaseepidemics and provide specialized services to eliminate or reduce disease outbreaks.Health delivery service may include the creation of mobile clinics and laboratories,training for animal health agents and localized surveillance structures.
Administration of fish health products and drugs to control diseases couldaffect the ecological integrity of production systeme and non-target aquatic organisms,mainly aquatic invertebrates. The magnitude and nature of impacts here are non-specific, and not readily predicted against the background of limited researchinformation in this area. Damage to ecosystem may be detected too late if theprovision of the service is not supported by research, monitoring of compliance andenforcement of guidelines and safeguards and periodic resources inventorization.
Mitigation
Mitigation measures should involve continuous monitoring of the status of theecology and aquatic fauna. Resource inventory and monitoring must be backstopped
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with research directed at increasing understanding of the dynamics of ecological andbiological activity and the impact of fish health products and drugs on other aquaticorganisms. Mitigation measures involving bioremediation of culture effluent andpublic health education would reduce substantially these impacts.
4.1.6 Co-Management of Fisheries
Co-management approach to fishery resource and infrastructure managementwould need to be supported since this would induce a sense of co-ownership amongstakeholders, a necessary pre-requisite for eliciting responsible attitude in resourceexploitation and use of facilities.
The approach will provide opportunities for evolving best practice approachesin fishery resource management based on integration of traditional and conventionalfishery management. Although the main constraint in developing co-managementpractices is limited understanding among management partners of the ecosystemlinkages that support the resource, the approach has the potential of bringing about anoverwhelming positive impact on sustainable fishery development.
5.1.7 Agricultural Statistics Services
Impacts
Under AgSSIP a Food and Agriculture Statistical Services (FASS) would beestablished to provide an improved flow of reliable and timely statistical informationon agriculture and fisheries. This would provide a support for policy formulation anddecision-making processes for accelerating agricultural growth, planning andimplementing agricultural development programmes and estimating the contributionof the agriculture sector to GDP and assessing its performance overtime. The FASSprogramme would cover institutional strengthening, development of agriculturalsurvey and reporting system, developing data processing, storage, analysis anddissemination and developing agricultural prices and market information andintelligence.
This component of AgSSIP does not have adverse impacts on the environmentbut can help bring beneficial impacts to the environment in general.
Aspects of this component of AgSSIP involve among others the developmentof geographic information system GIS and use of remote sensing and the developmentof early warning food information system. The development of such an integratedsystem would provide data and information to policy and decision makers for them tomake quick and informed decisions so as to determine the best and environmentallysustainable path for agricultural development, natural and environmental resourcesmanagement, creation of individual and public wealth and poverty alleviation.. TheGIS would help integrate environmental concerns into agricultural planning and
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development. AgSSIP should make use of land data sets developed under theGERMP especially the land suitability data sets produced by the Soil ResearchInstitute. Regarding, information systems development and use MOFA would benefitimmensely by actively getting involved in activities and programmes under theNational Framework on Geo-spatial Information Management (NAFGIM) which isbeing put in place under the Environmental Management Co-ordination component ofthe Natural Resource Management Programme (NRMP).
Consideration should be given to the inclusion of environmental aspects inconducting agricultural surveys, e.g. areas extended and type of land degradation,people affected etc.
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SUGGESTED MITIGATION MEASURES FOR POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OFAGRICULTURAL SUPPORT SERVICE INTERVENTIONS
Activity Potential Field Size and Scope of Potential Effect Mitigation MeasureAction Action
Agricultural All Agricultural Small, medium and . Effect on Impacts on ecology and natural resources isExtension services Service land areas large scale traditional significant.delivery Agricultural land areas. values and
practises * A pilot or trial phase must precede anyresearch recommendation.
* Effect on socialvalues/acceptab * Monitoring of pilot phase researchility interventions.
* Pilot phase must involve all targetcommunities and spread in all ecologicalzones.
Women in Agricultural services Small and medium * Effect on * Impacts on Ecology and natural resourceagricultural land areas/Agro scale traditional is not significant.development Forestry areas values and
practises * Religious background role and status ofwomen in Agricultural in target
* Effect on social communities must be considered.values/acceptability * Opinion Leaders or religious leaders
must accept these interventions.
Development of * No perceived * Potential to improve on yield status ofplanting materials for significant selected crops.selected crops. effect on
ecology, natural * Target communities must be involved inresources and selecting the type of crops.economic/health implications.
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Livestock DevelopmentActivity Potential Field Action Size and Scope of Potential Effect Mitigation Measure
ActionAnimal health services Tsetse Control National - Adverse effect on - Adequate capacity must be
public health & safety. built and strict food hygieneand handling practices shouldbe provided.
- Monitoring of the quality ofdrugs and services isnecessary.
Livestock breed Nucleus breeding Country wide - Promotion of This has beneficial impactsImprovement centres/breed-societies plant/animal diseases however
- Effect on traditional * Improved breeds must beagricultural values and monitoredpractises * Diseases and pest must be
monitored and controlled* Understanding traditional
beliefs and attitudes in targetcommunities is necessary forbreeding. This can beachieved through plannedawareness and campaign.
* Training for extension agentsto be able to identify commondiseases
* Improved reporting andnetworking arrangement
Fattening of livestock Selected livestock National Adversely affect public This has beneficial impacts.health and safety Monitoring of animals, feed
supplement and drugs used is vitalto ensure low fat content toenhance public health and safety.
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Activity Potential Field Action Size and Scope Of Potential Effect Mitigation MeasureActionI
Dairy Development Selected areas Medium & Small Scale Animal/plant disease This has perceived potentialsituation promotion. beneficial impacts.
- Adequate capacity in food (milk)handling education and animalsanitation must be employed.
- Food hygiene and handlingpractices, food safety, checksand monitoring must be ensuredto eliminate any potential healthrisk.
Rangeland Improvement, Savanna areas Small Scale/National - Introduction of diseases This has beneficial impacts. DiseasePasture and Forage Seed and pest and pest spread must be monitoredDevelopment and controlled.Promotion of sheep and Livestock breeder Small & medium - Enhanced plant/animal - Provision of proper and hygienicgoat production. associations scale/nationwide disease situation. sanitary facilities.
- Removal of vegetation - Target communities and AEO. through grazing and trained in disease monitoring andbrowsing control must be educated on
benefits of livestock breeding.Snail Production Registered snail farmers National Adversely affect public Potential perceived beneficial impacts
at district levels health & safety management significant.of natural resources - Recycling of snail sheets must beColonozation and threat to researched intofarm crops - Use of snail shell should be be
explored.Livestock Planning MOFA National * Enhance proper This has potential beneficial and
planning, monitoring positive impacts.and evaluation andimplementation onsustainable base.
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FisheriesActivity Potential Field Action Size and Scope Potential Effect Mitigation Measure
of ActionBuilding aquaculture High potential aquaculture National - Lead to loss of * Aquaculture educationsupport services areas. biodiversity must be intensified in target
- Maintenance of natural communities.resource base * Environmental Assessment
- Enhance plant/animal should be conducted ondisease situation, affects selected aquaculture sites.traditional values and * Stakeholders in aquaculturepractices must be consulted in this
- Human health as a result process.of vector breeding * Develop guidelines and
guides for monitoring ofaquaculture sites.
Aquatic animal health Aquatic animal health unit National Potential impacts identified Monitoring of aquatic health isservices are beneficial important & Environmental
Assessment developed mustinclude provision of aquatichealth services.
Co-management of Fishing based communities National Potential Impacts identified Education of fishingFisheries resources are beneficial communities is important to
enable them adopt sustainableand better practices
Sustainable Landuse
Activity Potential Field Action Size and Scope Potential Effect Mitigation Measureof Action
Sustainable landuse Soil and water management National with Traditional agricultural Soil and water conservationsystems in farming technologies emphasis on all values and practises may be techniques should be integralcommunities Agro-Ecological affected part of the agricultural system.
zones
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DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURAL COMMERCE SECTORACTIVITY POTENTIAL SIZE AND POTENTIAL EFFECT MITIGATION MEASURE
FIELD SCOPE OFACTION ACTION
Improvement in processing Shellers Community Level -Increased energy consumption (wood, oil - provision of waste disposal andwith the introduction of Graters and electricity) and its demand on natural treatment facilitiesmachinery Threshers resource use - recycling of waste including the
possibility for composting-Waste generation and disposal problems - periodic maintenance of
processing machines to reduce-Occupational risks from handling and emissionsoperation of processing machinery - use of non fuel wood based
energy sources to power-Potential air pollution from emissions processing machines e.g. solarfrom machinery used in processing - introduction of noise reduction
measures into processing-Noise generation and effects on workers machineryand public health
Development of post Solar dryers Farm Level Use of ozone depleting refrigerants would - use of ozone friendlyharvest technology packages Clips have negative implications for the ozone refrigerants for cooling(eg. Solar dryers, clips, cold Cold Storage layerstorage facilitiesPromotion of horticulture High value National Level Competition - there should be a balanceproduction export crops Maintenance of ecological integrity between exports and local food
Biodiversity decline requirementsChemical pollution and contamination rNegatively affect nat
resource management as the focus onexport expansion can lead to overexploitation of natural resources-High prices of non-export products inview of the potential shift from thecultivation of traditional crops
-Food security threat as thecultivation of food crops can reduce
__ __ __ __ _ _ __ __ __ __ _ __ __ ____ in favour of exports
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3 0
4.2 INSTITUTIONAL AND REGULATORY DEVELOPMENT ANDCAPACITY BUILDING.
42.1 INTRODUCTION
The main institutional and organisational objective of AgSSIP will be to establish anappropriate framework and incentive structure conducive to the development of demanddriven projects and programmes in the agricultural sector for both the small and large-scale investors. The approach adopted and underlying features for the design of theinstitutional framework has been to:
* Create maximum opportunities for private sector initiatives;* Make full and cost effective use of limited managerial and technical manpower
resources in the agricultural sector;* Create an effective data base for monitoring implementation and impact
assessment of individual interventions;* Provide appropriate levels of equipment and facilities; and* Create an organisational set up in conformity with Ghana's environmental
policies
4.2.2 PROPOSED PROJECT INTERVENTIONS
4.2.2.1 Strengthening Pesticide Management Capabilities
In order to ensure sound management of pesticides through regular monitoring,inspection and training, it is proposed to strengthen the Plant Protection and RegulatoryService Directorate. The expected interventions include the provision of training coursesfor pesticide dealers and applicators and training for about 30 extension personnel/inspectors; and the provision of equipment and laboratory to specialized organizationssuch as EPA, Standards Board, university and research institutes to conduct sampleanalyses and field monitoring. Other interventions include the organisation of educationalprogrammes on the safe and efficient use of pesticides, and the establishment of pesticidedata banks, monitoring compliance and enforcement of Pesticides Control andManagement Act and establishment of networks.
4.2.2.2 Strengthening Planning, Budgeting, Co-ordinating, Monitoring and Evaluation
The overall coordination of AgSSIP reside with PPMED. This places a heavyresponsibility with PPMED becoming the 'nerve centre' of MOFA. The objective ofthis component is therefore to restructure, strengthen and support PPMED so that it willbe able to executive this role effectively.
The intervention involves restructuring and strengthening PPMED by on-the-jobtraining for both existing and newly recruited professional staff in all its units.Monitoring and implementation of agricultural programmes would be the responsibilityof the implementing agencies. PPMED will therefore be strengthened to train and
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supervise Regional Development Officers in operating the monitoring system to bedeveloped so that they can in turn train and monitor district staff.
The intervention will involve strengthening data collection and managementcapacity, strengthening skills for promoting agri-business, and the establishment ofregional and district capacity for policy coordinating, budgeting etc.
4.2.2.3 Human Resource Development and Management (HRDM)
This intervention will involve data collection and management and the training ofMOFA staff for new roles in a decentralised MOFA.
4.2.2.4 Institutional Strengthening of Ghana Irrigation Development Agency (GIDA)
Implementation of this intervention would be divided between the GhanaIrrigation Development Agency (GIDA) and the District Assemblies through water userassociations for the micro-scale irrigation schemes under its control and provide technicalbackstopping and support for the establishment of micro-scale schemes. However, actualworks would be contracted out to the private contractors on a competitive arrangement.After rehabilitation, the responsibility for operation and maintenance of the schemes willbe transferred to water user groups.
Local training would be provided to GIDA and MOFA staff, complemented byshort specific overseas training courses. A number of technical, social, economic andenvironmental study needs have been identified which would be financed by the project,together with an allocation for yet unidentified study requirement.
4.2.2.5 Institutional Structure And Capacity Building for Sustainable FisheriesDevelopment
This component will improve the efficiency of the organisations and agenciesinvolved in the management of the fisheries resources; promote co-management of theresources with fishing communities; and enable the Monitoring, Control and Surveillance(MCS) unit to enforce rigorously adherence to fisheries laws and good practice in bothmarine and inland fisheries.
The intervention also includes the development of Fisheries DevelopmentStrategy Document reflecting the sector's policy stance; co-ordination of fisheriesresearch and development and the operationalisation of a management informationsystem. This sector will also benefit from the strengthening of institutional capacitybuilding for fisheries stakeholders including the private sector (e.g. Fisheries Association,NGO).
4.2.2.6 Capacity Building In The Animal Production Directorate
This intervention is also to strengthen the capacity of Animal ProductionDirectorate to enable it carry out its functions. The expected outputs include access of
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farmers to improved livestock extension services, monitoring and evaluation andproviding technical backstopping and co-ordination of livestock programmes.
4.2.2.7 Agricultural Statistics System
To improve the flow of reliable and timely statistical information which wouldenhance policy, planning and decision-making.
This intervention will have positive impact as it would lead to improvement indata collection on socio-economic impacts. No adverse impacts are predicted in the shortand long term.
4.2.2.8 Promotion of Agricultural Organisation
This is to strengthen and sensitize agricultural producers to form effective andefficient agricultural associations, co-operatives, producer controlled marketing boardsetc. through enabling and supportive legislation and educating them on what they can doby that and the benefits. This intervention is compatible with defined environmentalpolicy goals. No adverse impacts are immediately known.
4.2.2.9 Enhance capacity of institutions, colleges and universities.
The proposed intervention for strengthening the capacity of institutions, collegesand universities include the provision of logistics for practical training, and theintroduction of farm business management in the curricula in order to upgrade the skillsof graduates already in the field and those in colleges and other institutions.
4.2.3 Main Identified Impacts
The potential impacts of these interventions are presented in matrices 8 and 9.T'hey show that the overall impacts of the institutional and regulatory development andcapacity building component of AgSSIP are positive.
4.2.3.1 Safe and Sound Management of Pesticides
There had been a lot of abuse and misuse of pesticides and other agro-chemicalsin the agricultural sector. An intervention to adequately strengthen the Plant Protectionand Regulatory Services Directorate would therefore ensure sound management ofpesticides through regular monitoring, inspection and training of field staff and farmers.
It is expected that the strengthening of pesticide management capabilities willencourage more farmers into the use of these agro-chemicals. However, because ofimproved capacities in the sector, the cumulative adverse impacts especially on humanhealth, soils and water bodies will be greatly minimised.
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4.2.3.2 Management and Organisation of MOFA
Agricultural services provided under AgSSIP would be channelled in ways andmeans that would reinforce and support the decentralisation policy of govermment. Themajor implementation of delivery of agricultural services will take place at the districtlevel and to some extent at the regional level. This proposal will create the rightenvironment for implementing the proposed institutional capacity building programme.Even though no significant negative impacts are perceived in this intervention, it isanticipated that the very slow process of the decentralisation system, and possibleinterference in the prioritisation of programmes based on political considerations maydelay some aspects of project programmes.
4.2.3.3 Trained Professional Personnel
The potential impacts of equipping MOFA staff with requisite knowledge, skillsand attitudes for new roles will certainly have positive implications for ecological, socio-economic and natural resource management as shown in the matrix. There will beconsiderable number of well-trained personnel capable of discharging theirresponsibilities efficiently. However, it should be expected that if the present low staffincentive and motivation continues, it may result in staff turnovers.
4.2.3.4 Research and Technology Transfer
Agricultural production is heavily dependent on rainfall. Providing institutionalcapacity for the irrigation sector for example, would certainly improve generalagricultural production year round in the country. This will lead to bumper harvests andits accompanying low prices. The important issue here is the choice of technology,acceptability to the beneficiary communities, and the ease of maintenance and availabilityof equipment. The main target groups for training and technical assistance should be thefarmers and water users associations. Water conservation and sustainable irrigationpractices should be an important component of their training. Research and developmentof technologies and systems to improve the harvesting, storage, processing anddistribution of agricultural products should be of great importance.
4.2.4 Mitigation Measures
4.2.4.1 Ecological Farming and Good Husbandry
The strengthening and capacity building of the PPRS and the enforcement of thePesticide Management and Control Act (Act 528) would improve management ofpesticides in the country.
It should be noted that there is a programme by the EPA for the establishment ofpesticide data bank. MOFA should therefore collaborate with EPA and the StandardBoard to avoid duplication of efforts and ensure judicious use of scarce resources.
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Beneficiaries of the training package should emphasise mostly on pesticidedealers and farmer associations. Other agencies (e.g. Standard Board, EPA) should alsobenefit from such training since they equally play complementary roles in pesticidemanagement.
For a more effective control of pest attacks and diseases, good husbandrytechniques such as crop rotation, inter-cropping, biological control, use of appropriateseed varieties should be encouraged. Emphasis on training programme should thereforebe towards good husbandry techniques.
4.2.4.2 Fisheries Development Strategy
The proposal that the Fisheries Division of the Water Research Institute (WRI) behived off WRI and merged with the Marine Fisheries Research Division (MFRD) to forma new institute to be called Institute of Fisheries and Oceanographic Research (IFOR)under the CSIR, will greatly streamline some of the institutional bottlenecks experiencedin these research institutes.
The project's support for both the Fisheries Management Plans OperationsCommittee (FMPOC) and the Fisheries Commission will enhance the performance oftheir functions.
It is recommended that the Fisheries Development Strategy to be developed shouldbe subjected to Strategic Environment Assessment (SEA) when completed.
4.3 DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURAL COMMERCE SECTOR
4.3.1 Introduction
The programme would help improve the upstream and downstream agriculturalcommerce sector activities relating to agricultural production particularly by thosebelonging to the private sector. This will address the following problem areas identifiedunder AgSSIP.
* Entrepreneurship development* Development of and access to technology for sustainable natural resources
management* Enhancing the capacity of agricultural institutions, colleges and universities among
others* Strengthening the capacity of MOFA directorates and other MDAs.
Strategies to be adopted to develop the agricultural commerce sector would include:
* Improved distribution of agricultural inputs* Reduction of post harvest losses* Manufacturing of agricultural implements* Infrastructure support to Enhance Export of Agricultural Commodities
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* Development of Entrepreneurship
There are a number of proposed activities under each of the strategies and these areoutlined below:
4.3.2 Programme Components
4.3.2.1 Improved Distribution Of Agricultural Inputs
This will be achieved through:
* Training of Suppliers of inputs in basic management practices
4.3.2.2 Reduction Of Post Harvest Losses
This is expected to be achieved through the following measures:
* Training of private sector manufacturers of processing equipment* Training of post harvest extension officers in post harvest technology and pest control
technology.* Training and support for farmers to improve handling and storage methodse Development of post harvest technology packages including solar dryers, cold
storage facilities etc.* Improvements in processing with the introduction of appropriate machinery.
4.3.2.3 Manufacturing Of Agricultural Implements
The strategy would be provision of mobile training to local artisans e.g.blacksmiths, small scale farmers, agro-processors etc.
4.3.2.4 Infrastructure Support To Enhance The Export Of Agricultural Commodities
The strategy would emphasize:* Strengthening of export marketing associations* Rationalisation of export and import tariffs to encourage exports over imports
4.3.2.5 Entrepreneurship Development
This is expected to be achieved through training and institution of appropriateregulatory framework. The training aspect will consist of:
* Upgrading skills of entrepreneurs and managers to improve the skills of MOFAextension staff to provide advice and direct training to farm owners and managers.
* Training in agro-processing of about 500 students annually from tertiary institutionsin operating fabricating and maintenance of basic machines such as shellers, graters,threshers.
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* Training of exporters of mainly fruit and vegetables, fish and seafood, roots andtubers, seeds, nuts and oil nuts as well as wood and wood products in coating andpricing skills and techniques and other export related know-how.
* Export capacity development to:
(a) create an effective agricultural trade training capacity in the countrycapable of meeting the skilled manpower needs of the Agricultural exportsector.
(b) To continue skills development of the staff of MOFA, GEPC and otherinstitutions in the export sector to enhance institutional capacity for exportpolicy analysis formulation and implementation of export developmentstrategies programmes and projects.
The regulatory framework will consists of the following:
(a) Development of export rules and regulations to establish enforceableexport rules and regulations to guide operations of the major non-traditional agricultural export commodity groups.
(b) Development of standards and their dissemination to elaborate standardsand educate target groups in the use of standards to improve producequality and enhance competitiveness on international markets.
(c) Development of linkage mechanisms between financing institutions andexporters mainly to establish a system for interfacing bankers andexporters and a forum for the exchange of ideas and development ofimproved operational approaches and procedures tailored to therequirement of the export trade.
4.3.3 Environmental Impacts
The implementation of the various programme activities outlined would have bothnegative and positive implications for ecology, natural resource utilisation andmanagement, socio-economic and health conditions of the nation. These potentialimplications are evaluated and presented in the attached matrices 10-12.
The overall environmental impacts of the strategies proposed to develop theagricultural commerce sector is neutral (meaning the proposals do not have significantnegative environmental impacts). However there are perceived negative impactsassociated with enhancement of exports of agricultural products and processing ofproducts to reduce post harvest losses which must be given attention to ensure theenvironmental friendliness of the programme. A number of proposals andrecommendations have been made in this regard.
4.3.3.1 Improved Distribution of Agricultural Inputs
The overall environmental impacts of the proposed intervention aimed at trainingsuppliers in basic management practices in the use of fertilizers and agro-chemicals isneutral as illustrated by the greater number (14) of the symbol in the impact 13. The
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study also indicated the following beneficial environmental effects are associated withthis intervention:
a) Enhanced plant and animal disease control situation as a result of the increasedavailability of agro-chemicals to combat diseases.
b) Training of suppliers in basic management practices in fertiliser and agro-chemicaluse would enhance their skills which can be passed on to their clients. This wouldeventually result in better utilisation of chemicals and promote better management ofour natural resources.
c) Traditional agricultural values and practices would improve as farmers receive betterknowledge in fertilizer and agro-chemical application.
d) Enhanced community benefits in the form of skill acquisition and better applicationof chemicals in agriculture
4.3.3.2 Reduction In Post Harvest Losses
The interventions would generally have neutral effects on the environmentalparameters considered in impact matrix 14. This is represented by the higher score of 52neutrals (0) compared to twenty (28) positives (+) and four (4) negative (-) impacts. Thebeneficial and negative impacts that these measures would bring would include thefollowing:
Positive Impacts
a) Reduce plant and animal disease situation from improved storage methods
b) Improvement in handling and storage skills would promote better management ofnatural resources
c) Improvement in the price of agricultural products
d) Increased availability of crops throughout the year
e) Easy access to quality agricultural machinery
f) Improvement in the use of Agro-chemicals for storage
g) Improvement in handling and storage skills
h) Change in handling and storage methods which will reduce post harvest losses
i) Increase in Processed Agricultural Products
j) Increased income for farmers and improved cost of living
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k) Employment generation
1) Reduction of the burden of women in processing with the introduction of machinery
Negative Impacts
a) Development of cold storage facilities and its ozone depletion implicationsparticularly where non-ozone friendly refrigerants are used.
b) Waste generation from processing and associated disposal problems
c) Increased energy consumption (wood, oil and electricity) and its demand on thenatural resource base. The use of wood based energy source for processing machinerywould contribute to the further depletion of forest resources
d) Increased risk to those handling and operating processing machinery (OccupationalHealth and Safety)
e) Increased air pollution (from emissions from the use of machinery in processing) andnoise would affect public health and safety.
4.3.3.3 Manufacturing of Agricultural Implements
The overall environmental impact of this strategy which focus on the provision ofmobile training to local artisans in agricultural implement manufacturing is neutral. In all19 parameters considered in the impact matrix 13 recorded no perceived significantnegative environmental impact. The following positive environmental impacts areassociated with the strategy:
a) Improvement in traditional agricultural values and practices with access to betterquality farm implements
b) Easy access to quality agricultural machineryc) Increase in the production of agricultural implementsd) Increase in acreage under cultivatione) Increased productionf) Intergeneration benefits derived from the training of local artisans particularly where
the youth constitute the target group.
4.3.3.4 Infrastructure Support To Enhance Export Of Agricultural Products
Again the strategy of providing infrastructure support to enhance the export ofagricultural products in the form of strengthening export market associations and exportand import tariff rationalisation, generally is not expected to have significant adverseenvironmental impacts as indicated that in impact matrix 13. However some of theenvironmental parameters considered would be impacted negatively whilst someenvironmental benefits would be derived from the strategy.
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Positive Impacts
a) Improvement in the quality and price of export cornmodities
b) Increase in foreign exchange earnings from increased exports
c) Improved standard of living
Negative Impacts
The strategy can negatively affect natural resources management as the focus onexport expansion is likely to lead over exploitation of natural resources in certainlocations.
a) High prices of non-export products as less of these would be cultivated
b) Food security threat as the cultivation of traditional food crops can be reduced infavour of exports.
c) Farmers would be vulnerable to the vagaries of the export market
4.3.3.5 Entrepreneurship Development
Measures proposed to develop the entrepreneurship skills of MOFA staff and otherstakeholders do not have any perceived significant environmental impacts. There are anumber of beneficial impacts which are likely to result from these strategies. Theseinclude:
a) Intergenerational benefits in view of the extensive focus of the various trainingprogrammes. The target groups include various age groups i.e. students, farmers, farmmanagers, MOFA Staff etc.
b) Enhanced community benefits in the form acquisition of better skills which can alsopromote better management of the environment.
c) Gender sensitivity as the training can transfer various skills in management, exportinformation etc to women.
4.3.4 Mitigation Proposals
To mitigate the negative side effects identified the following measures areproposed:
4.3.4.1 Reduction Of Post Harvest Losses
The strategy should include options fora) Use of ozone friendly refrigerants for cooling
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b) Provision of waste disposal and treatment facilitiesc) Recycling including the possibility for compostingd) Periodic maintenance of processing machinese) Energy source of processing machines should not be fuel wood because of its
implications for the forest.f) Noise reduction measures in processing machinery
4.3.4.2 Infrastructure Support To Enhance The Export Of Agricultural Commodities
The strategy should balance the cultivation of crops in the various ecologicalzones to reduce the effect of mono-cropping.
4.3.4.3 Entrepreneurship Development
There is the need to integrate environmental management training into the
entrepreneurship development programme.
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5.0 GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS
* MOFA should develop a policy on the enviromnent in order to mainstreamenvironmental considerations related to agriculture into its programme activities at alllevels.
* To ensure a smooth implementation of MOFA's environmental policy andinternalising of environmental issues in MOFA's operations, environmental deskofficers should be appointed for departments under the Ministry. These officersshould liaise with EPA on environmental aspects of their activities. EPA could becommissioned to provide orientation/training for these officers.
* MOFA should in collaboration with EPA develop environmental guidelines or simpleenvironmental manuals in specific areas to guide the Ministry's field officers (eg.aquaculture, livestock, introduction of exotic species, agro-chemical use, agro-forestry, irrigation) to guide her field officers, especially at the district level .
- In the training of Agricultural officers and farners the environmental aspects ofagricultural progranmmes and activities should be emphasized.
* Model sustainable land use systems for different ecological zones based on landcapability should be developed.
* It is expected that under AgSSIP Agro-chemicals especially pesticides would increasesharply and this would have serious adverse impacts on the environment and humanhealth. World Health Organisation (WHO) reports about half a million acutepoisoning cases world-wide and 900 deaths annually from pesticide poisoning, mostof them in developing countries. The Plant Protection and Regulatory Service ofMOFA and EPAs Chemicals Control and Management Centre should be equippedunder AgSSIP to train extension officers in the proper use of pesticides.
* The Ministry of Health should be supported to set up poisoning centres, especially inthe rural areas where pesticide poisoning cases can be handled. Furthermore MOFAshould assist with the capacity building in pesticides use in Ghana.
* This is essential for realisation of AgSSIP objectives as crop development would beexport-oriented and there are strict regulations on chemical residues crops eg. theEuropean Union regulation would come into force by July 2000.
* AgSSIP has to take note of the country's potential vulnerability to climate change anddevelop anticipatory adaptive strategies to offset its impacts. A coping strategy is thedevelopment of drought management policy through establishment of informationsystems on changing climate conditions and patterns and options to deal with theproblem.
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APPENDICES
APPENDIX 1: IMPACT ANALYSIS MATRICES
1. Matrix on Environmental Impacts of AgSSIP Support ServicesInterventions - Agricultural Research
Agricultural Research Interventions:Promotion & development of Improve seed certification Facilitate food and non-
Environmental Parameters agric. reasearch & phytosanitary services traditional export crops_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ____ production
A. Potential Ecological Implicationsi.. Adversely affect ecological integrity o + o
ii. Degradation of productive systems o o 0
iii. Adversely affect conservation areas o oiv. Lead to loss of biodiversity o o _
B. Potential Implications for NaturalResourcesi. Management of natural resources + _ _ii. Maintenance of natural resources base +
iii. Wise use of natural resources + 0 0iv. Enhanced plant/animal disease situation - 0 o
v. Compatibility with defined environmental + + +
goals .
C. Potential Socio-economic/HealthImplicationsi. Resettlement of people/communities o 0 oii. Traditional agricultural values and 0
practicesiii. Social conflict - o o oiv. Social values/acceptability o o o
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v. Degradation of essential life support o .-systemsvi. Degradation of quality of life o o 0vii. Adversely affect public health and safety o - o oviii. Improvement of price of agric. products + + +
ix. Enhancement of community benefits + + +
x. Reasonable apportionment of cost and o o obenefitsxi. Reasonable apportionment of inter- + + +generational equityxii. Gender sensitivity o 0 0
+ perceived impact beneficial_ perceived significant adverse impacto no perceived significant impact or impact largely residua
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2. Matrix on Environmental Impacts of AgSSIP Support Services Interventions-Agricultural Extension Services
Agricultural Extension Services Interventions:Agricultural extension services delivery Women in agricultural
Environmental Parameters development
A. Potential Ecological Implicationsi. Affect ecological integrity o oii. Affect productive systems + +iii.Affect conservation areas + +iv. Affect biodiversity o 0B. Potential Implications for Natural Resourcesi. Management of natural resources + +ii. Maintenance of natural resources base + +iii. Wise use of natural resources + +iv. Enhanced plant/animal disease situation + +v. Compatibility with defined environmental goals + +C. Potential Socio-economic/Health Implicationsi. Resettlement of people/communities 0 0
ii. Traditional agricultural values and practices ___
iii. Social conflict o +iv. Social values/acceptability ___
v. Effect on essential life support systems 0 0vi. Effect on quality of life + +vii. Adversely affect public health and safety + 0viii. Improvement of price of agric. products + +ix. Enhancement of community benefits 0 +x. Reasonable apportionment of cost and benefits + oxi. Reasonable apportionment of inter-generational equity o ±
xii. Gender sensitivity + +
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3. Matrix on Environmental Impacts of AgSSIP Support ServicesIntervention - Crop Services Development
Crop Services Development Interventions:
Development of planting materials Promotion of production Promotion ofEnvironmental Parameters for selected crops of selected food crops for selected horticultural
food security crops for export
A. Potential Ecological Implications _
i Affect ecological intergrity o o 0
ii. Affect productive systems o oiii. Affect conservation areas 0 0 0
iv. Affect biodiversity o o 0
B. Potential Implications for Natural Resourcesi. Management of natural resources o o o
ii. Maintenance of natural resources base o +iii. Wise use of natural resources o 0 0
iv. Enhanced plant/animal disease situatidn + + +
v. Compatibility with defined environmental goals + + +
C. Potential Socio-economicMHealth Implicationsi. Resettlement of people/communities 0 0 0
ii. Traditional agricultural values and practices 0 0 0
iii. Social conflict 0 0 0
iv. Social values/acceptability o o ov. Effect on essential life support systems 0 0 0
vi. Effect on quality of life 0 0 0
vii. Adversely affect public health and safety 0 0 0
viii. Improvement of price of agric. products + + +
ix. Enhancement of community benefits + + +
x. Reasonable apportionment of cost and benefits 0 0 o
xi. Reasonable apaortionment of inter-generational equity + + +
xii. Gender sensitivity o o _
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4. Matrix on Environmental Impacts of AgSSIP Support Services Interventions -Livestock Development
Livestock Development
Animal Livestock breed Enhanced Fattening of Diary dev. Rangeland Promotion of Snail LivestockEnvironmental health improvement animal livestock improvement sheep & goat production planningParameters ~~services traction production_____________
A. Potential EcologicalImplicationsi. Affect ecological o o o o o + + + 0integrityii. Affect production o o o o o + o 0 0systems .iii. Affect conservation o o o o o + 0 0 0areasiv. Affect biodiversity o 0 0 0 0 + 0 + 0B. PotentialImplications forNatural Resourcesi. Management of natural + + o + o + + - +resourcesii. Maintenance of natural + + o+ + + o resources baseiii. Wise use of natural + . o 0 0 + + 0 +resources .iv. Enhanced + . o o - o plant/animal diseasesituationv. Compatibility with + + + + + + + + +defined environmentalgoals
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Livestock Development
Animal Livestock breed Enhanced Faftening of Diary dev. Rangeland Promotion of Snail LivestockEnvironmental health Improvement animal livestock Improvement sheep & goat production planningservices traction production
C. Potential Socio-.economic/HealthImplicationsi. Resettlement of 0 0 0 o o 0 0 0 0people/communitiesii. Traditional agricultural - - + o + 0 o 0 ovalues and practicesiii. Social conflict o o o + o o o o 0iv. Social 0 o o o o o o o ovalues/acceptabilityv. Effect on essential life o o o 0 0 0 0 0 0support systemsvi.Effect on quality of o o o o + + 0 0 0lifevii. Adversely affect . o + - o - opublic health and safetyviii. Improvement of + + + + + + + + +price of agric. productsix. Enhancement of + + + + + + + + +community benefitsx. Reasonable + o + + 0 0 0 0 0apportionment of costand benefitsxi. Reasonable + + + + + + + + +apportionment of inter-generational equityxii. Gender sensitivity o o + 0 0 0 0 0 0
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5. Matrix on Environmental Impacts of AgSSIP Support ServicesInterventions - Fisheries
Fisheries Interventions:Building aquaculture support Aquatic animal health Co-management of
Environmental Parameters services services fisheries resources
A. Potential Ecological Implicationsi. Affect ecological integrity o o +ii. Affect productive systems o o +iii. Affect conservation areas o o +iv. Affect biodiversity o +B. Potential Implications for Natural Resourcesi. Management of natural resources + + +ii. Maintenance of natural resources base + + +iii. Wise use of natural resources o o +iv. Enhanced plant/animal disease situation + + ov. Compatibility with defined environmental goals + + +C. Potential Socio-economic/Health Implicationsi. Resettlement of people/communities o o oii. Traditional agricultural values and practices o 0 +iii. Social conflict o +iv. Social values/acceptability o o ov. Effect on essential life support systems 0 0 +vi. Effect on uality of life + + +vii. Adversely affect public health and safety + 0viii. Improvement of price of agric. Products + + +ix. Enhancement of community benefits + + +x. Reasonable apportionment of cost and benefits + o +xi. Reasonable apportionment of inter-generational equity + + +xii. Gender sensitivity o o +
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6. Matrix on Environmental Impacts of AgSSIP Support ServicesInterventions - Sustainable land use
Sustainable Land Use Interventions:Sustainable landuse systems in farming Mechanised farming system
Environmental Parameters communities
A. Potential Ecological Implicationsi Affect ecological integrity o oii. Affect productive systems + oiii. Affect conservation areas + oiv. Affect biodiversity + oB. Potential Implications for Natural Resourcesi. Management of natural resources + oii. Maintenance of natural resources base + oiii. Wise use of natural resources 0 oiv. Enhanced plant/animal disease situation o ov. Compatibility with defined environmental goals . +C. Potential Socio-economic/Health Implicationsi. Resettlement of people/communities o oii. Traditional agricultural values and practices ___iii. Social conflict o oiv. Social values/acceptability 0 0v. Effect on essential life support systems 0 ovi. Effect on quality of life 0 0vii. Adversely affect public health and safety 0 0viii. Improvement of price of agric. products + +ix. Enhancement of community benefits + +x. Reasonable apportionment of cost and benefits 0 ±xi. Reasonable apportionment of inter-generational equity + +xii. Gender sensitivity o o
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7. Matrix on Environmental Impacts of AgSSIP Support ServicesInterventions - Information System
Information System Interventions:Rural technology information MOFA statistics system
Environmental Parameters system
A. Potential Ecological Implicationsi. Affect ecological integrity o oii. Affect productive systems o oiii. Affect conservation areas o oiv. Affect biodiversity o oB. Potential Implications for Natural Resourcesi. Management of natural resources + +ii. Maintenance of natural resources base + +iii. Wise use of natural resources + +iv. Enhanced plant/animal disease situation + +v. Compatibility with defined environmental goods + +C. Potential Socio-economic/Health Implicationsi. Resettlement of people/communities o oii. Traditional agricultural values and practices o 0iii. Social conflict o oiv. Social values/acceptability 0 0v. Effect on essential life support systems 0 0vi. Effect on quality of life 0 0vii. Adversely affect public health and safety + +viii. Improvement of price of agric. Products + +ix. Enhancement of community benefits + +x. Reasonable apportionment of cost and benefits 0 0xi. Reasonable apportionment of inter-generational equity + +xii. Gender sensitivity o o
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S. Matrix on Environmental Impacts of AgSSIPInstitutional Reform - Restructuring and Strengthening of MOFA
1. Strengthening Institutional Capacity of MOFA Directorates and other MDAs
Pesticides Planning, Monitoring Human Resource Institutional Capacity building for Capacity Building InstitutionalManagement capacity and Evaluation capacity Development and Strengthening of GIDA sustain-able Fisheries for Animal strengthening for
Environmental Parameters of MOFA Manage-ment Development Production AgriculturalStatistics System
A. Potential Ecological Implications ____
i. Affect ecological integrity 0 0 - 0 0i- Affect productive systems 0 0 0 0 0 0iii. Affect conservation areas 0 0 0 0 0 0 0iv. Affect biodiversity 0 0 0 0 0 0B. Potential Implicatons for NaturalResourcesi. Management of natural resources 0 + + + + + +ii. Maintenance of natural resources base 0 + + + + 0 +iii. Wise use of natural resources 0 + + + + + +iv. Enhanced plantTanimal disease situation 0 0 0 0 0 0v. Compatibility with defined environmental + + + + + + +goalsC. Potential Soclo-economic/HelithImplicationsi Resettlement of peoplelcommunnties 0 . 0 0 0 0 0ii. Traditional agricultural values and practices + + + + + 0iii. Socialconflict 0 0 0 0 0 0 0iv. Social values/acceptability 0 0 0 0 + + 0v. Effect on essential life support systems 0 0 0 0 0 0 0vi. Effect on quality of life 0 0 0 0 0 0 0vii. Adversely affect public health and safety + 0 0 0 0 0 0viii. Improvement of price of agric. products + + + + + + +ix. Enhancement of community benefits + + + + + +x. Reasonable apportionment of cost and benefits + + + + + + +xi. Reasonable apportionment of Inter- + + + + + + 0generational equity Ixii. Gender sensitivity 0 0 + 0 + + 0
+ perceived impactbeneficiai perceived significant adverse impact o no perceived signi icant impact or residual
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9. Matrix on Environmental Impacts of AgSSIPDevelopment of Farmer-Based Organizations and Strengthening Agricultural Education
2. Capacity Enhancement of FBOs and Agricultural EducationFormation Enhance GES and NGOs Agricultural Strengthening Programmeand capacity of Agricultural Training of Agric- Administra-strengthening Institutions, Institutions Institutional Business tion
Environmental Parameters of Colleges and Support Project Capacity EnterpriseAgricultural Universities Building ProjectAssociation Project
A. Potential Ecological Implications .+L. Affect ecological integrity 0 0 0 0 0 0ii. Affect productive systems 0 0 0 0 0 0iii. Affect conservation areas 0 0 0 0 0 0iv. Lead to loss of biodiversity 0 0 0 0 0 0B. Potential Implications for NaturalResources _
i. Management of natural resources + + + + + 0ii. Maintenance of natural resources base + 0 0 0 + 0iii. Wise use of natural resources + + + + 0iv. Enhanced plant/animal disease situation 0 0 0 0 0 0v. Compatibility with defined environmental + + + + + +goalsC. Potential Socio-economic/HealthImplicationsi. Resettlement of people/communities 0 0 0 0 0 0ii. Traditional agricultural values and + + + + + +practicesiii. Social conflict 0 0 0 0 0 0iv. Social values/acceptability ++ + + + +v. Effect on essential life support systems 0 0 0 0 0 O0
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vi. Effect on quality of life 0 0 0 0 0 0vii. Adversely affect public health and safety 0 0 0 0 0 0viii. Improvement of price of agric. products 0 0 0 + 0ix. Enhancement of community benefits + + + + +x. Reasonable apportionment of cost and + + + + +benefitsxi. Reasonable apportionment of inter- + + + + + +generational equityxii. Gender sensitivity + 0 0 0 + 0
+ perceived impact beneficial - perceived significant adverse impact o no perceived significant impact or residual
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10. Matrix on Environmental Impacts of AgSSIP Development of Agricultural Commerce Sector
Intervention Improved Distribution of Manufacturing of Infrastructure Support to Enhance Export of Agric ProductsAgricultural Inputs Agricultural ImplementsTraining of Suppliers in Provision of Mobile Training Strengthening Export Marketing Export & Impolt tariffbasic management practices to local artisans Associations rationalisation to encourageas far as the use of fertilisers exports over imports
Environmental Parameters &Ago-ChemicalsA. Potential Ecological ImplicationsL. Adversely affect ecological integrity O O 0 Oli Degradation of productive systems O_ 0 _O
lii Adversely affect conservation areas O_ 0 _
Iv. Lead to loss of biodiversity O 0 OB. Potential Implications for Natunl Resourcesi Management of natural resources + O 0 .li Maintenance of natural resources base + 0 lii Wise use of natural resources + O 0 OIv. Enhanced plant/anal disease situation + O0 0v. Compatibl _ with defined enviro+nent goals O 0C Potential Socio-economic/Health Implications .i Resetdement of people/conmunities O __ 0 0li Taditional agricultural values and practices + + 0 0I;L Social conflict O __ 0 Iv. Social values/acceptability O O 0 0v. Degradation of essential life support systems O 0 Ovi Degradation of quality of life O_ OO +vii Adversely affect public health and safety O __ 0 0viii Improvement of price of agric products O O + +IL Enhancement of community benefits + ._° + 0x. Reasonable apportionment of cost and benefits . O _- 0 0xi Reasonable appostionment of inter-generational equity 0 + 0 0xii Gender sensitivity O O O__
+ perceived beneficial itnpactperceived significant adverse impact
no perceived significant impact or residua
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1 1. Matrix on Environmental Impacts of AgSSIP Development of Agricultural Commerce SectorIntervention - Reduction in Post Harvest Losses
Reduction in Post Harvest LossesImprovement in Introduction of Training and support Development of Post harvestEnvironmental Parameters Processing with improved storage for farmers to technology pacages (e.g.the introduction structures improve handling and Solar dryers, clips, cold storageof machinery storage methods facilities etc.)
A. Potential Ecological Implicationsi. Adversely affect ecological integrity __________ 0 0 0Ii. Degradation of productive systems 0 0 0 0Iii. Adversely affect conservation areas 0 0 0 0Iv. Lead to loss of biodiversity 0 0 0 0B. Potential Implications for Natural Resourcesi. Management of natural resources 0 0 + +Ii. Maintenance of natural resources base 0 0 + +Iii. Wise use of natural resources + 0 0 +Iv. Enhanced plant/animal disease situation 0 + + +v. Compatibiiy with defned environmental goals 0 + + +C. Potential Socio-econonmic/HealthImplicationsi. Resettlement of people/comnunities 0 0 0 0Ii. Traditional agricultural values and practices + + + +Iii. Social conflict 0 0 0 0Iv. Social values/acceptability 0 0 0 0v. Degradation of essential life support systems 0 0 0vi. Degradation of quality of life 0 0 0 0vii. Adversely affect public health and safety - 0 0viii. Irnprovement of price of agric products + + + +Ix. Enhancement of community benefits + + + +x. Reasonable apportionment of cost and benefits 0 0 0 0xi. Reasonable apportionment of inter-generational 0 0 + 0equtxii. Gender sensitivity + + + 0
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+ perceived beneficial impactperceived significant adverse impact
* no perceied significant impact or residual
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12. Matrix on Environmental Impacts of AgSSIP Development of Agricultural Commerce SectorIntervention -Entrepreneurship Development
Entrepreneurship DevelopmentTrainin Direct Training in Training in Export Export Develop Developm Developm
Environmental Parameters g of Training for Agro- export of school school ment of ent of ent ofMOFA Managers of processing perishable agric capacity capacity export standards linkageStaff mediun and of 500 products & developm developm rules and and between
large scale students in wood products ent ent regulatio disseminat financingfarms in tertiary in skill and ns ion of institutionfarm institutions techniques in informatio s andmanagemen produce n exporterst and costing, pricingmarketing and otherprinciples export related.______ knowledge
A. Potential EcologicalImplicationsi Adversely affect ecological 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0integrity .
Ii. Degradation of productive 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0systemsIii. Adversely affect conservation 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0areasIv. Lead.to loss of biodiversity 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0B. Potential Implications for 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Natural Resourcesi. Management of natural resources + 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Ii. Maintenance of natural + O 0 0 0 0 0 0 0resources baseIii. Wise use of natural resources + 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Iv. Enhanced plant/animal disease + 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0situation .
v. Compatibility with defined + 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
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environmental goals _ _
C. Potential Socio- 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0economic/Health Implicationsi. Resettlement of 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0people/communitiesIi. Traditional agricultural values 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0and practicesIii. Social conflict 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Iv. Social values/acceptability 0 0 0 0 0 0 _O_O
v. Degradation of essential life 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0support systems
Vi. Degradation of quality of life 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Vii. Adversely affect public health 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
and safetyViii. improvement of price of agric 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
ProductsIx. Enhancement of community 0 0 0 + 0 0 0 0 0
benefits _ _
x. Reasonable apportionment of 0 0 0 + 0 0 0 0 0
cost and benefits .Xi. Reasonable apportionment of 0 0 +0 0 0 0 0
inter-generational equity I I I --
Xii. Gender sensitivity 0 0 + + 0 0 0 0 0+ perceived beneficial impact o no perceived significant impact or residual - perceived significant adverse inpact
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APPENDIX 2: TERMS OF REFERENCE
TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTALASSESSMENT OF THE AGRICULTURAL SERVICES SUB-SECTORINVESTMENT PROGRAMME (AgSSIP)
1. Introduction
The terms of reference provided for the preparation of a Strategic EnvironmentalAssessment of AgSSIP, a sub-sector-wide and country-wide agricultural servicesdevelopment program which is in the design phase and is to be implemented starting mid2000.
2. Background
The Government of Ghana has formulated a Accelerated Agricultural Growth andDevelopment (AAGDS) Strategy that is designed to increase the pace of the sector'sgrowth from the current rate of 34% to 6% in support of attaining the goals set in itsVision 2020 program of social and economic development. The strategy is predicated onthe premise that such a high rate of growth should be private-led and export oriented. Itis agreed among all sectors of the Ghanaian economy that the levels and rates of successin the implementation of the AAGDS generally will be dependent on how far theGovernuent of Ghana will be able to push the private sector to lead investment andeconomic growth, accelerate its decentralization and de-concentration exercises, and todevelop a macroeconomic framework supportive of the country's long-term vision.
Five major elements have been identified in the AAGDS. Concerted efforts will be madeby all stakeholders to implement the strategy for bringing about the desired rate ofagricultural growth. These involve policy and institutional reforms, and support forinvestment programs in the following areas:
* Improving access to markets and promoting the production and export of selectedcommodities;
* Facilitating access to agricultural technology;
Facilitating and Increasing access to rural finances;
* Providing rural infrastructure and utilities; and* Building institutional capacity.
AGRICULTURAL SERVICES SECTOR INVESTMENT PROGRAMME(AgSSIP)
The proposed Agricultural Services Subsector Investment Program (AgSSIP), will be themain instrument for implementing AAGDS. In contrast to the current approach offinancing agricultural development in Ghana via numerous discrete projects (Research,Extension, Livestock, Fisheries, Irrigation, Agricultural Export Diversification, Cocoa,
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Infrastructure, etc.), each catering for a specific sub-sector and often supported by one ortwo donors, the AgSSIP approach attempts to integrate all these into a single frameworkof a national agricultural development program, which the Government and a consortiumof donors are committed to support.
The Policy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Department (PPMED) of MOFA servesas the secretariat of a national Task Force (TF) and its sub-committees and coordinatedinputs of various MDAs for the AgSSIP. Local and international consultants assistedboth the TF and PPMED in pulling together the proposals.
AgSSIP identifies some problem areas which have been grouped into two (2)subprograms. These are:
* Agricultural support services* Institutional and regulatory development and capacity building
The current focus of AgSSIP is investment in services, primarily by government MDAs,which lead to enhanced agricultural productivity by the private sector. AgSSIP will notsupport further expansion of Ghanaian agriculture into remaining and sentitive naturalareas such as wetlands, mangroves and tropical high forest. In line with the currentgovernment policy on privatization, AgSSIP will also not support direct investment byMDAs in production, processing and marketing infrastructure.
The AgSSIP will be designed as a series of three-year rolling plans to coincide with theGovernment Medium Term Expenditure Framework, adjusted from year to year on thebasis of experience and prevailing conditions. AgSSIP will be complementary to anumber of investments under the Natural Resources Management Program (ProjectID:GH-PE-946) which specifically aims to protect, rehabilitate and sustainably managenational land, forest and wildlife resources.
While accelerating agricultural production by maximizing production factors in order tocreate rural incomes and state revenues and also to ensure food security, there is thelikelihood that both physical and social environments could be impacted upon adverselyor positively. The borrower, Government of Ghana, is therefore obliged to carry out aStrategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) at the design stage of the program.
3. . Objectives
Environmental impact assessment as a tool aims at supporting the goals of environmentalmanagement and sustainable development and integration of environmental managementand economic decisions at the earliest stages of planning an undertaking, program orinvestment. To attain this goal, govemment decisions covering policies, plans andprograms such as the AgSSIP which could have significant direct and indirect effects onsustainable development and not just those with an overtly environmental dimensionshould be subjected to environmental assessment. This can be done through StrategicEnvironmental Asssessment (SEA) which is the environmental assessment of programs,plans and policies. It is an orderly systematic and responsive evaluation in terms of itslikely effects on the environment including consideration of program objectives,
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alternative means of achieving those objectives and adoption of the program to mitigateand adverse enviromnental consequences.
Specifically, an SEA on AgSSIP will seek to:
> Identify the nature and scope of potential environmental and social risks (humanhealth effects, habitat loss and destruction, pollution, biodiversity loss, land usechanges, etc.) and benefits that may arise as a result of the design, planning andimplementation of AgSSIP.
> Identify ways, most importantly preventive measures but also mitigatory orcompensatory measures, of improving selection, planning, design and implementationof AgSSIP so as to eliminate, minimize or compensate for adverse environmental andsocial costs while enhancing positive impacts.
> Provide useful data and information to decision makers on the nature and scope ofenvironmental risks and benefits of AgSSIP and for improving decision making inensuring that program options/alternatives/components under consideration areenvironmentally and socially sound and sustainable.
> Provide opportunities for interaction through participatory and consultativeapproaches with the public, civil society including NGOs who may be affected by thedesign and implementation of AgSSIP.
> Determine the nature and scope of impacts on sector and related policies as a result ofthe planning, design and implementation of AgSSIP. Further, the SEA willrecommend ways of ensuring that adverse impacts on sector and other related policiesare eliminated, reduced, minimized or mitigated.
4. Strategic Environmental Assessment Requirements
AgSSIP has been classified as category B by the International Development Association(IDA) and therefore the conduct of a Strategic Environmental Assessment is legislated inaccordance with the Bank's Environmental Assessment Procedures and described inOP/BP/GP 4.01 (Operational Policy, Bank Procedures, Good Practices). The preparationof a Strategic Environment Assessment for AgSSIP is in compliance with requirementsas described in the Ghana Environmental Impact Assessment Procedures published in1995, Environmental Assessment in Ghana (A Guide) published in 1996 and theEnvironmental Assessment Regulations of 1999 (L.I. 1652).
5. Study Area
Since AgSSIP is a sub-sector-wide and a country-wide program, the SEA will cover theentire country. However, the SEA will highlight important local peculiarities with regardto habitat sensitivity and fragility such as erosion susceptibility, proneness to degradationand bushfires, etc. The SEA will generally review AgSSIP's impact on agricultural
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sector policies/programs and other related policies/programs including the national tradeand investment policies, national environment policy, Vision 2020, etc.
6. Scope of Study
The scope of study will include:
* Description and analysis of the nature and scope of perceived negative andpositive environmental impacts arising from the implementation of the proposedagricultural development programs.
* Description of measures needed to prevent, minimize, mitigate or compensate foradverse impacts and improve environmental performance.
7. Main Tasks:
(a) Screening
Using existing baseline data and information, a screening analysis would becarried out to determine the type and scope of environmental impacts (sectoral,regional and indirect issues) that would result from the program implementation.The consultant will use checklists and matrices to identify impacts. The issuesidentified would be prioritized.
The SEA study will involve a global overview of the physical, biological andsocial-cultfiral environment. The review will determine how AgSSIP may impactdirectly or indirectly on:
* Status and utilisation of natural resources including biological diversity- Soil and water pollution with agrochemicals- Systems of land tenure and rights to resource use
Institutional capabilities and capacities at local, regional and national levels tomonitor environmental and social changes and risks, and implement andmonitor mitigation plans. The study may suggest intersectoral arrangementsfor environmental monitoring and capacity building including training forenvironmental management.
* Policy components on ecologically sustainable development andenvironmental management.
* Financial/fiscal policies for preventing and mitigating impacts as well as forrewarding best environmental practices.
(b) Scoping
The scoping exercise will identify and assess program alternatives and impacts.The consultant/consulting team will undertake where appropriate field review toseek input and advice from other government agencies, independent experts,interest groups, etc.
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(c) Impact Analysis
The consultant/consulting team will develop prevention and mitigating scenariosenvironmental indicators and criteria, and policy impact matrix, etc for identifyingand monitoring environmental and social change.
(d) Public Review and Participation
The consultant/consulting team will organize a workshop or a series of workshopsand/or consultations with various stakeholders to review the findings of the draftSEA report.
8. Consultant/Consulting Team
The Strategic Environemntal Assessment on AgSSIP can be undertaken by a local teamof experts. Members of the team should consist of people with the followingspecializations:
> Environmental Assessment> Rural Sociology> Agronomy or Natural Resources/Enviromnental Management
The consultant/consulting team will have to exhibit a strong analytical capability torecommend simple, but cost-effective preventive mitigation actions.
9. Schedule
EPA is expected to submit ten (10) copies of an interim (draft) report of the SEA toMOFA two (2) weeks after the contract is signed. A final SEA report is expected to besubmitted in hard copy (ten (10) Bound copies) and on a 3.5" diskette latest one weekafter the interim report.
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10. Other information
EPA's attention is drawn to the following publications and documents:
- The AgSSIP main Report- Annexes to the main report- Sub-program proposals from MOFA, and CSIR- Ghana Environmental Resources Management Project reports- National Environmental Action Plan Vol. I&II- Natural Resource Management Program- Accelerated Agriculturl Growth and Development Strategy- Ghana Vision 2020- The World Bank Operational Manual: Operational Policy, Bank Procedures, Good
Practices (OP/BP/GP 4.01)- Ghana Environmental Impact Assessment Procedures. Published 1995 by EPA- Environmental Assessment in Ghana. A Guide. Published by EPA- Environmental Assessment Regulations, 1999 (L.I. 1652)
Environmental Protection Agency Act of 1994 (Act 495)
11. Report
The final report of the Strategic Environmental Assessment will have to beconcise and be limited to the most significant environmental problems. The maintext would have to focus on the results, conclusions and recommended actions,supported by tables and all appropriate references. Detailed or uninterpreted datawill have to be presented in annexes.
Unpublished documents used in the SEA can be difficult to access by the publicand will have to be presented in annexes as well. The final SEA report will haveto be structured in the following manner:
Table of ContentsExecutive SummaryDescription of AgSSIP and objectives of the SEAstudy.Description of baseline data and information onEnvirommental Problems and Protection Objectives.Environmental and social Consequences of AgSSIPImpact Synthesis Evaluation, AltemativesProposed Mitigation MeasuresRecommendations
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REFERENCES
1. An Agenda for Sustained Agricultural Growth and Development (1996-2000)
Volume 1
2. Briefing papers on experience in selected countries.
3. Challenges and Future Directives.
4. Court, J.D. et al 1(994) Assessment of Cumulative Impacts and Strategic Assessment
in Environmental Assessment, prepared for the Commonwealth Environment
Protection Agency, Australia.
5. de Boer, J.J and Sadler, B (1996) Strategic Environmental Assessment Environmental
Assessment of Policies
6. EPA (1997) Draft State of the Environment Report - Chapter on Land Management
and Agriculture
7. EPA (1999) Draft National Initial Communication on Climate Change for Ghana.
8. EPC (1991) Ghana Environmental Action Plan Volume 1
9. FAO (1991) Land Resource Management Study Identification Mission Vol.1
10. MOFA (1995) Development of a New Agriculture Sector Strategy for Ghana - A
Report on Consultations with Stakeholders in Agriculture.
MOFA (1995) Medium Term Agricultural Development Plan11. MOFA (1996) Agricultural Strategic Planning and Implementation Workshop -
Rapporteur's Report Akosombo 21-27 August 1996.
12. MOFA (1997) Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Development
13. MOFA (1999) Draft Program Preparation Document on the Agricultural Services
Sector Investment Program (AgSSIP) Main Report and Annexes 11, 6A
14. Sadler, B and Verheem R Strategic Environmental Assessment, Status
Strategy Stakeholders Workshop Report, Accra 25-26 November 1997
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