Livelihood and Agriculture Program
The Livelihood and Agriculture Directorate of NABOCADO works to improve the livelihoods, food security, and climate resilience of vulnerable households across Northern Ghana through sustainable agriculture and inclusive economic empowerment. The Directorate partners with smallholder farmers, women, youth, and rural communities to promote climate-smart agriculture, agroecology, natural resource management, and diversified livelihood opportunities that increase incomes while protecting the environment.
Our interventions focus on strengthening resilient farming systems, promoting sustainable crop and livestock production, supporting community-led climate adaptation, conserving indigenous seeds, empowering women through livelihood opportunities, and enhancing market access for smallholder farmers. Through capacity building, community mobilization, and strategic partnerships, the Directorate is helping rural communities build resilient livelihoods, improve household nutrition, and achieve sustainable development while adapting to the impacts of climate change.
Key projects include the Smallholder Farmers Resilience towards a Changing Climate and the promotion of environmentally friendly agriculture (SCRAS ) funded by Misereor and the Harnessing Agriculture Productivity for Prosperity of Youth (HAPPY) project funded by the Mastercard Foundation through AgriImpact and the Catholic Relief Services Ghana.
Core Competencies
Solar-powered dry-season gardening
Agroecology and organic production
Ethno-vet
Post-harvest management with biomaterials
Community climate change adaptation and mitigation
Women's enterprise development
Farmer-Based Organizations (FBOs) formation and development
Savings and Internal Lending Communities (SILC)
Youth professionalization of agriculture
Community mobilization and engagement
Facilitation of agriculture value chains
Energy-saving and improved mud stoves (ESIMs)
Local innovation identification and development
Sustainable agriculture practices (SAP)
Climate-smart agriculture
Networking and linkages
Aquaculture
What we deliver
- Climate-resilient farming, including drought-tolerant crop varieties and agroecological practices
- Community Climate Adaptation Action Plans, developed and carried out by communities themselves
- Savings and Internal Lending Communities (SILC) that give women access to savings and small loans
- Jobs for young people across the agricultural value chain
- Better post-harvest handling and storage
- Market links for shea, rice and soybean producers
Recent projects
- SCRAS, with MISEREOR (Germany), 2023 to present: helping smallholder farmers adapt to climate change, plan community adaptation and develop local innovations.
- HAPPY, with the Mastercard Foundation and Catholic Relief Services, 2024–2027: training young people in agriculture and creating jobs, including rice production.
- PROSSFA, with Katholische Landvolk (Germany), 2024–2025: climate-smart agriculture training and a demonstration farm for pigs, catfish and vegetables.
Who we work with
MISEREOR (Germany), the Mastercard Foundation, Catholic Relief Services and Katholische Landvolk (Germany). In Ghana we work with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the District and Municipal Assemblies.