Context
Climate change impact in Liberia is getting more visible year after year. The weather in Liberia has become unpredictable with an increase in extreme weather events (heavy rainfall and flooding, varying high temperatures, etc). Local farming communities and farmers across Liberia are becoming susceptible to the adverse effects of climate change impact as their farming calendar is becoming unpredictable. On the other hand, the current traditional farming practices are serving as part of the drivers of climate change. Agriculture is contributing to climate change in Liberia through land-use change such as soil disturbance, and deforestation – slash and burn farming systems and shifting cultivation, rain-fed agriculture system, etc. This is creating further stress on important forest stocks through deforestation and the destruction of biodiversity. These slash-and-burn/shifting cultivation practices release greenhouse gas (GHGs), especially carbon dioxide (CO2) through the cutting of trees and burning of vegetation.
The Intervention
The project is facilitating climate-smart agriculture techniques to empower smallholder farmers, mainly women, and youths, to employ sustainable and regenerative farming practices in Nimba County, Northern Liberia. The overall project goal is to strengthen rural communities resilience to climate change impact through small-scale agricultural practices that promote increased and sustainable productivity and reduced agricultural sector GHG emissions.
Expected Results
- Improved land use and productivity increased through climate-smart agriculture practices;
- Strengthened communities’ resilience to climate change;
- Reduced agriculture-based greenhouse gas emissions;
- Enhanced income generation of smallholder farming communities.
The activities include setting up lowland rice farming groups, roots and tubers (cassava) farming groups, vegetable and fruit productions, and farmers’ field schools as learning and demonstration sites. About 1,400 hectares of farmland will be developed, with farming techniques that ensure that farming practices continue in the same spots for decades, without any need for shifting to new sites.
A total of 4,200 farming households representing about 21,000 farmers will be impacted by the project directly.
Key Facts
Sector: Food Security & Livelihoods Enhancement
Domain: Food Security, Poverty Eradication, and Climate Change
Benefiting zone: Liberia
Nature: Performance base contract
Duration: 2022 – 2025
Status: Active
