Farmers and community extension officers from across three regions of Ghana have completed a three-day training program in snail rearing, beekeeping, and mushroom cultivation as part of the EMBRACE project, an initiative focused on reversing biodiversity loss and strengthening the resilience of smallholder farming communities.
The training, organized by the Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (CSIR-FORIG), brought together participants from 15 communities across the Ashanti, Ahafo, and Western North regions. EMBRACE aims to address the growing threats of biodiversity loss and climate vulnerability in smallholder farming systems.
Rural communities in Ghana rely heavily on natural resources for food, income, and cultural identity, but deforestation, land degradation, and neglect of underutilized crops and endangered species continue to undermine their resilience.
The project bridges scientific evidence with indigenous knowledge, developing agroforestry models and conservation strategies that safeguard genetic diversity, improve ecosystem services, and ensure fair benefit-sharing among communities.
Mrs. Naomi Owusu Appiah, Director of Commercialization at CSIR, emphasized the urgency of the training. “The technology helps us to mimic the natural environment so that even though we are not in the forest, we can still create a natural environment in the cities where we can farm snails and make a livelihood out of them,” she said.
Project Lead Dr. Clement Oppong Peprah highlighted that the initiative goes beyond income generation, also addressing food security. “As they grow the animals, they gain protein as well,” he noted. He further called on policymakers to regulate the importation of weedicides and pesticides, which threaten snail populations, and to provide incentives for locally produced organic alternatives.
Participants expressed excitement about applying the skills to diversify income and improve resilience against seasonal hardships. “During the dry season, production drops and farmers face hardships. With this training, they can have an additional business while farming, helping them earn more,” one participant said.
The trainees also committed to sharing their knowledge within their communities, creating a ripple effect that supports EMBRACE’s long-term goals for conservation, livelihood improvement, and sustainable development.
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