Solidaridad West Africa

Solidaridad West Africa Solidaridad West Africa is part of Solidaridad Network, an international solution-oriented CSO.

Ebagi Joseph is now building a successful life through oil palm farming. After years of unsuccessful job searches in the...
19/06/2026

Ebagi Joseph is now building a successful life through oil palm farming. After years of unsuccessful job searches in the city, he returned to his Egononkor community in Cross River State, Nigeria, to revive an oil palm farm his parents had abandoned.

His journey into oil palm farming began in 2022 during a visit to his community from the city. During the visit, he discovered a youth oil palm farmers' group established by Solidaridad West Africa under the National Initiatives for Sustainable and Climate-Smart Oil Palm Smallholders ( ) in Nigeria. Through the group's meetings and activities, he learned that oil palm farming could be a viable and profitable source of livelihood when supported by climate-smart agricultural practices and effective farm management.

Inspired by the opportunities he saw, Ebagi joined the youth farmers' group and committed himself to revitalising the seven-hectare oil palm farm abandoned by his parents. As a member of the group, he received training on best management practices, including circle w**ding, pruning, proper harvesting techniques, field sanitation, and the application of organic manure. Equipped with this knowledge, he began implementing the recommended practices on his farm, laying the foundation for increased productivity and improved income.

The adoption of these practices significantly improved both his yield and earnings, ultimately convincing him to pursue oil palm farming as a full-time livelihood.

"When I started implementing the best management practices, my farm produced an average of 125 litres of palm oil per month, generating about ₦175,000 in income. Today, my monthly production has more than doubled to about 275 litres, generating an average income of ₦385,000 per month. I have also become an employer of labour, with eight young people now working on my farm," says Ebagi.

The programme, supported by the Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), supports sustainable palm oil production, improves smallholder farmers’ incomes, and enhances access to markets.

Accélérer la transition vers des filières cacao et palmier à huile plus durables en Côte d'Ivoire.À Abidjan, Solidaridad...
18/06/2026

Accélérer la transition vers des filières cacao et palmier à huile plus durables en Côte d'Ivoire.

À Abidjan, Solidaridad West Africa a réuni les membres des Groupes Consultatifs du projet Pathways to Prosperity (P2P) afin de définir les priorités de cette nouvelle année de mise en œuvre. Cette rencontre a rassemblé les représentants des pouvoirs publics, des institutions de régulation, des organisations de producteurs et du secteur privé autour d'une ambition commune : renforcer la durabilité et la résilience des chaînes de valeur agricoles.

Les échanges ont permis de consolider une feuille de route ambitieuse, avec notamment la formation de 15 000 producteurs de cacao aux exigences de l'ARS 1000 et du RDUE, ainsi que l'accompagnement de 7 coopératives de palmier à huile vers la certification RSPO.

À travers le projet P2P (2023-2029), financé par le Ministère des Affaires étrangères du Royaume des Pays-Bas, Solidaridad poursuit son engagement en faveur d'une agriculture climato-intelligente, de l'autonomisation des communautés rurales et du développement de chaînes d'approvisionnement plus inclusives, compétitives et respectueuses de l'environnement.

𝐔𝐧 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞́𝐠𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞́𝐥𝐞́𝐫𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐮 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐮𝐫 𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐫.En Côte d'Ivoire, Solidaridad et l'Off...
17/06/2026

𝐔𝐧 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞́𝐠𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞́𝐥𝐞́𝐫𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐮 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐮𝐫 𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐫.

En Côte d'Ivoire, Solidaridad et l'Office d'Aide à la Commercialisation des Produits Vivriers (OCPV) ont signé un protocole de collaboration afin d'accompagner la structuration et la modernisation des filières vivrières.

En conjuguant leurs expertises, les deux institutions entendent améliorer l'accès aux marchés, renforcer les capacités des organisations de producteurs et favoriser une meilleure inclusion économique des acteurs de la chaîne de valeur, contribuant ainsi à l'amélioration des revenus des producteurs et au renforcement de la sécurité alimentaire.

Ce partenariat soutiendra la mise en œuvre de nos projets AgriRise et Pathways to Prosperity (P2P), avec une ambition commune : permettre aux producteurs de saisir davantage d'opportunités économiques, de renforcer leur résilience et de bâtir des filières vivrières plus compétitives et durables.

Ensemble, nous posons les bases d'un secteur vivrier plus performant, plus inclusif et plus résilient au service des producteurs ivoiriens.

16/06/2026

Our collaboration with Solidaridad through the European Union-funded Developing an Inclusive and Sustainable Cashew Value Chain (DISCA-VC) Jobs and Growth Project is helping to raise awareness about exclusive breastfeeding, appropriate complementary feeding for malnourished children and children under five, and the promotion of healthy diets for pregnant women.”

This initiative will contribute significantly to building healthier communities across the Bombali, Port Loko, Kambia, and Tonkolili districts in Sierra Leone,” said Janet Dougba Senessi, Nutritionist, Directorate of Food and Nutrition, Ministry of Health, Bombali District.

As part of efforts to support the government of Sierra Leone to strengthen food and nutrition security in rural communit...
16/06/2026

As part of efforts to support the government of Sierra Leone to strengthen food and nutrition security in rural communities, Solidaridad through its European Union-funded Developing an Inclusive and Sustainable Cashew Value Chain (DISCA-VC) Project has trained 80 smallholder cashew farmers in four districts on healthy diets, food preparation, and infant nutrition.

The initiative aims to strengthen and security among smallholder cashew farmers by promoting healthy diets and improved food utilization for pregnant women and children under-five at the household level.

The week-long training was organised by Solidaridad West Africa in collaboration with District Nutritionists in Port Loko, Kambia, Tonkolili, and Bombali districts,to equip facilitators with the knowledge and skills needed to replicate the sessions within their respective communities and districts.

Speaking during the training, Aminata Bah, Senior Programme Officer at Solidaridad, said the initiative was designed to encourage farmers to prepare nutritious meals, particularly for pregnant women and complementary meals for children under-five using local recipes and food crops produced through intercropping activities supported by the project.

Aminata Bad said that the training is to improve farmers’ understanding of healthy diets, proper food preparation methods, and the critical role nutrition plays in improving health of pregnant women and children in rural communities.

Janet Dugba Senessie, District Nutritionist in Bombali District, described the training as timely and important, noting that it helps farmers understand the nutritional value of the crops they grow on their farms.

The training also focused on raising awareness among smallholder farmers, particularly women, about the importance of exclusive breastfeeding for infants during the first six months of life and appropriate complementary feeding practices thereafter.

According to Senessie, the initiative is expected to motivate project beneficiaries and other farmers across the country to cultivate more food crops, particularly micronutrient-rich crops, within their communities to improve nutrition and food security.

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐄𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐋𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐫According to the International Labour Organization, 138 million children remain in ...
12/06/2026

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐄𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐋𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐫

According to the International Labour Organization, 138 million children remain in worldwide, including nearly 54 million engaged in hazardous work.

This underscores the continued need for collective action to protect children and ensure they have the opportunity to learn, grow, and reach their full potential.

At Solidaridad West Africa, our efforts to build resilient farming communities also include raising awareness about the harmful effects of child labour and supporting communities to take action.

Through initiatives such as RECLAIM Sustainability! and Tackling Forced and Child Labour in Ghanaian Cocoa and Gold Mining, we worked with farmers, community members, cooperatives, women’s groups, and local stakeholders to promote children’s rights, encourage education, and contribute to positive changes in attitudes and practices.

One example is Musah Kalamdulai, a from the Central region of Ghana, who has become a strong advocate against child labour in his community.

In Toumodi, Côte d’Ivoire, women members of cooperatives supported by Solidaridad are helping to raise awareness about children’s rights and the importance of keeping children in school.

On this World Day Against Child Labour, we reaffirm our commitment to supporting communities to create safe and supportive environments where every child can thrive.

You can read more about Musah’s story here: https://www.solidaridadnetwork.org/story/breaking-the-cycle-a-farmers-journey-against-child-labor/




For 15 years, Stephen Ibi, a 72-year-old farmer, faced a difficult reality. Living with a physical disability that limit...
11/06/2026

For 15 years, Stephen Ibi, a 72-year-old farmer, faced a difficult reality. Living with a physical disability that limited the use of one of his hands, he struggled to carry out labour-intensive activities on his two-hectare oil palm farm. The high cost of hiring labour often prevented him from providing the necessary care for his farm, resulting in poor yields and low income.

That situation has changed with the introduction of the Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) in his Akam community in the Ikom Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria. As a member of the VSLA, Stephen now accesses loans that enable him to hire labour for critical farm activities such as w**d clearing, pruning, staking, and timely harvesting.

“As a person with a disability, there are certain tasks I cannot do alone, and I did not always have the money to pay workers when I needed them. But with the VSLA loan, I have been able to adopt better farm management practices, which have improved my yield and income. My harvest has increased from a monthly average of 75 litres of palm oil to 175 litres,” says Stephen

Solidaridad West Africa, under the National Initiative for Sustainable and Climate-Smart Oil Palm Smallholders ( ), in Nigeria, introduced the VSLA model in participating communities to improve farmers’ access to finance. There are about 295 VSLAs across NISCOPS communities in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Enugu, and Kogi States of Nigeria.

The NISCOPS programme, supported by the Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), supports sustainable palm oil production, improves smallholder farmers’ incomes, and enhances access to markets.

Une nouvelle dynamique en faveur du cacao durable est en marche en Côte d’Ivoire!La cérémonie officielle de lancement du...
11/06/2026

Une nouvelle dynamique en faveur du cacao durable est en marche en Côte d’Ivoire!

La cérémonie officielle de lancement du portail web l’Observatoire des Professionnels des Médias Africains pour le Cacao Durable (OMACD) a réuni à Abidjan des acteurs clés du secteur cacao, des médias, de la société civile et des institutions autour d’un objectif commun: promouvoir une filière plus transparente, inclusive et durable.

Mis en œuvre avec le soutien de l’Union européenne, omacd.org se positionne comme un espace d’information, de dialogue et d’action au service d’une meilleure gouvernance du cacao et d’un engagement renforcé en faveur de la durabilité.

Un pas de plus vers une filière cacao durable qui place les producteurs au cœur du changement.

Ce Projet a été mis en œuvre avec l'appui de Solidaridad, INADES-Formation Côte d’Ivoire, IDEF, INKOTA et Fern, grâce au financement de l’Union européenne.

𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐚 𝐅𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐢For years, farmers in Nkatieso and...
10/06/2026

𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐚 𝐅𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐢

For years, farmers in Nkatieso and Asawinso “A” in the Western North region of Ghana struggled with disputes over mining activities on farmlands. Gold deposits attracted artisanal miners, leading to land grabs and growing tensions within the communities. Without written agreements on land rights, farmers, especially vulnerable tenant farmers, were often at a disadvantage. Weak community governance and land tenure insecurities further deepened the divide.

Efforts by the Minerals Commission of Ghana and the Ghana Cocoa Board to resolve individual conflicts helped address some disputes, although some tensions remained. Farmers resisted mining opportunities, fearing they would lose their livelihoods due to poor compensation, broken promises, failure to restore mined areas, and other irresponsible mining practices.

To help address these challenges, the Shared Ground project brought together miners, farmers, and community leaders for roundtable dialogues.

Funded by Tony's Chocolonely and implemented by Solidaridad West Africa, Pact International, and the Ghana Cooperative Cocoa Farmers and Marketing Association Ltd, the project created a platform for both groups to discuss their concerns and identify a way forward.

Over eight months, partners implemented the core peace model through conflict analysis and training workshops on land rights, responsible mining, and conflict resolution.

Building on these activities, farmers and miners jointly developed a Cohabitation Action Plan to analyse conflicts, identify opportunities for collaboration, and support more sustainable coexistence.

This approach has enabled clear agreements between farmers and miners, fair compensation for farmers, and joint monitoring, helping to prevent disputes.

As the project comes to a close, smallholder farmers are better equipped to engage with miners through agreed processes and clearer terms. The action plan provides a framework for fairer engagement while helping to protect cocoa farms and support peaceful coexistence between farmers and miners.

James Adjei, a representative of the Minerals Commission, described the initiative as timely and emphasized the importance of stronger collaboration between COCOBOD and the Minerals Commission to help farmers address illegal land sales and strengthen accountability among licensed miners.

The Shared Ground project is a one-year initiative which seeks to build bridges and promote peaceful coexistence between and .

𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐚 𝐅𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐆𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐚Cocoa remains an important source of for many households ...
09/06/2026

𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐚 𝐅𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐆𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐚

Cocoa remains an important source of for many households in Ghana, but the sector continues to face evolving challenges.

As part of efforts to develop a strategy that responds to the needs of cocoa , Solidaridad West Africa convened stakeholders with diverse expertise from across the sector to reflect on key issues affecting the sector and identify priorities for the years ahead.

The session, facilitated by Virginie Mfegue, Policy Influencing Advisor for Cocoa at Solidaridad Europe, and Jolanda Laurijsen, brought together representatives from the Ghana Cocoa Board, academia, farmer organizations, and the private sector to share insights drawn from their experience and expertise, challenge assumptions, and identify practical solutions to some of the sector's most pressing issues.

In his opening remarks, Eric Amoako Agyare, Country Representative for Solidaridad in Ghana, noted that while cocoa remains important to livelihoods and the economy, the sector continues to evolve and face new challenges. He stressed the need to reflect on how investments, partnerships, and interventions can better support cocoa farmers and the future of the sector.

Discussions focused on barriers to farmer resilience, including land and tree tenure, access to finance, climate change, income diversification, illegal mining, and youth succession in cocoa farming. The discussions also highlighted opportunities to strengthen resilience through improved land rights, practices, access to finance, and stronger farmer organizations.

A common thread throughout the discussions was that the conversation should go beyond productivity to ensuring profitability. The goal is to support thriving and resilient cocoa farmers who can build sustainable livelihoods and continue to succeed in a changing cocoa sector.

As the workshop concluded, participants aligned on several important principles for the years ahead. These included stronger collaboration across institutions, solutions that continue beyond project funding, and, above all, keeping the farmer at the centre of every conversation, intervention, and investment in the cocoa sector.

Socodevi, Ghana Cocoa Board, Rainforest Alliance Africa

Address

Nico Roozen Heights, No. 14 Nii Sai Road, East Legon
Accra

Opening Hours

Monday 08:30 - 17:00
Tuesday 08:30 - 17:00
Wednesday 08:30 - 17:00
Thursday 08:30 - 17:00
Friday 08:30 - 17:00

Telephone

+233307001687

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Solidaridad West Africa posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Solidaridad West Africa:

Shortcuts

Share

Category