Sustainable Tree Crops Program - Liberia
Project Dates: 2006-2011
Country: Liberia
Funders: US Agency for International Development, World Cocoa Foundation and industry (through regional core program support)
Implementers: International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (manager, production, marketing, policy); SOCODEVI (cooperative development); University of Tennessee (marketing)
Overview
Liberia is emerging from a civil war (1989-2003) during which agricultural activities were severely disrupted and the agricultural research system destroyed. Cocoa has traditionally been a key commercial and poverty reduction crop in Liberia. An estimated 28,000 hectares were planted with cocoa by 1987; however recent production levels average around 2,000-3,000 metric tons per year. Nevertheless, cocoa presents an opportunity to improve the livelihoods of farmers and providing a solid platform for rural development.
Production can be restarted, through tree rehabilitation and improved management, followed by replanting with appropriate planting material. Cocoa can generate relatively high incomes, particularly with an improved marketing system, while increasing productivity on existing farms can discourage expansion into forests. The Sustainable Tree Crops Program (STCP), building on its experience in the West Africa Region, aims to address these areas. STCP-Liberia is active in Bong, Lofa and Nimba Counties.
Program Objectives:
- Implement technical packages to raise productivity and product quality
- Strengthen community groups to interface with markets, enhance democracy and ensure sustainability
- Develop efficient marketing options associated with relevant information systems
- Engage public and private stakeholders to address policy and institutional constraints
Progress to Date:
- 897 farmers trained through Farmer Field Schools. Farmers received training on integrated crop and pest management, quality improvement, HIV/AIDS awareness, and farm safety. An additional 1,913 farmers were reached indirectly through farmer-to-farmer diffusion. 2006 graduates received 7.5 metric tons of seedlings from Centre National de Recherche Agronomique in Côte d’Ivoire.
- 6 farmer organization agents trained. The agents (2 per county) were trained to provide support to 10 cooperatives. STCP is working with 3 additional cooperatives in Nimba County to provide support for the cooperatives’ organizational development plans.
- Policy dialogue – extension and cooperative development. STCP-Liberia hosted several roundtables on extension options to support the Ministry of Agriculture as it develops extension policy and strategy. Roundtables and workshops were also held on topics related to the reestablishment of the Cooperative Development Agency, and the review and strengthening of cooperative laws.
- Roundtables on Liberian cocoa sector held. A May 2006 roundtable identified action points to contribute to the development of the cocoa sector and promote it as an engine for poverty alleviation, job creation and overall economic and social development. A follow-up roundtable was held in 2007 focusing on the cash crops sector, including tree crops, and their role in food security. Participants at both roundtables included representatives from the local public and private sectors, as well as regional and international experts.
Success Story: Liberian Grandmother is a Giant in Farmer Field Schools
Success Story: Communities Establishing Self-Supported Farmer Training
Success Story: Group Selling Arrangement Quadruples Family Income
Back to Farmer Field School main page
Overview of the Sustainable Tree Crops Program