Ghana
Turning Forest Farms into Thriving Businesses
An exciting model transforming CSOGI into a social enterprise was initiated in Ghana on meeting the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) farmers involved in the GhaFFap Project. The exciting project has the direct involvement of 1.8 million farmers from 7 different farmer unions, with 5 more farmer unions scheduled to join very soon.
CSOGI has devised a soil health card based on the Indian model and is launching a pilot this November and December for soil testing and the restoration of 30 000 hectares of degraded land. The pilot CSOGI Land Restoration Model named CSOGI R+3 (rethink, restore, regenerate) starts with 9 hectares. (3 hectares in each agroecological zone. I hectare each in the east, central and west in each agroecological zone).
The CSOGI Model includes farmer organisations owning 25% of the company, with a charity owning 10% (the charity is specifically for providing grants and microloans to women and youth for startup finance in agribusiness), the employees will own 15.1% - Thus making local shareholders the majority shareholders without any capital investment. CSOGI for its investment into the infrastructure will only own a maximum of 49.9%. It is also a model in which for the first time in Africa, farmer unions will own an organic fertiliser company – demonstrating how private sector engagement can create a win-win integrated model.