Farming Systems Development Unit

About the Farming Systems Development
Projects & Activities
Meetings & Events
Publications
Contacts

About the Farming Systems Development Unit

The Farming Systems Development Unit is part of the agriculture group of FAO's Regional Office for Africa located in Accra and started operating in August 1998. It is concerned with improving the understanding of different farm-household systems by farmers, extension agents, researchers and policy planners, through the provision of economic and systems information and improved analytical methods. The unit also focuses on enhancement of profitability, productivity, efficiency and competitiveness of farms and other agricultural business enterprises, and the promotion of sound decision making relating to farm, enterprise and resource management and farming systems development. The unit is closely linked to other units within RAF as well as with the Farm Management and Production Economics Service in FAO's Head Quarter and officers in other regional and sub-regional offices. Collaborative links are also maintained with other FAO services and divisions, and with international agricultural research and development organizations.

Projects and Activities

1. Water harvesting studies were carried out in 1998/99 in collaboration with AGLW/FAO/RAFA in selected countries in Western and Central Africa (Cameroon, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali) to assess the economic performance of this technology. A sub-regional workshop on Water Harvesting was organized in Niamey/Niger from 26.-29 October 1999 with AGLW/ICRISAT.

2. The unit looks at Accra urban and peri-urban agriculture with Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) under the aspect of farm management and irrigation (collaboration with AGLW).

3. FAO's mandate for socio-economic follow-up in oncho-freed areas; AGSP/Rome supports national plans for resettlement areas. a Participatory Community Planning method (PCP) has been adapted from procedures in Asia by a pilot training carried out in West Gonja District/Northern Ghana ion 1999. This method is now being revised for further application.

4. Support was given to Farmers' Organisations in Senegal (FONGS) in 1999 in methods of micro-level analysis for agricultural programmes and policies. The same type of support is currently under discussion with FO (Farmers Organisations) in Burkina Faso and Benin.

5. Support of farming systems networks such as AASFRET.  

Meetings and Events

1. An international workshop was held in Accra on urban and peri-urban agriculture, titled "Closing the Nutrient Loop for Urban Food Security and Environmental Protection", from 2.-6. August 1999. Presentations on waste recycling looked at potential products and invited speakers on urban and peri-urban farming systems studied potential users. A synopsis is found under: http://www.cityfarmer.org/africaworkshop.html#africaworkshop.The proceedings of this workshop will be published mid 2000.

2. A sub-regional workshop was organized in Niamey/Niger on Water Harvesting in West and Central Africa from 26.-29 October 1999 with AGLW/ICRISAT. Proceedings are in process

Publications

1. Proceedings of the international workshop on Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture on "Closing the Nutrient Loop for Urban Food Security and Environmental Protection" held in Accra from 2.-6. August 1999, IBSRAM-FAO, in progress.

2. Proceedings of the sub-regional workshop on Water Harvesting in West and Central Africa held in Niamey/Niger from 26.-29 October 1999 with ICRISAT, in progress

Contacts

Dr. Dagmar Kunze ,
Farming Systems Development Officer
FAO Regional Office for Africa
PO Box 1628
Accra
Ghana
Phone: +233 21 701 09 30
Fax: +233 21 701 09 43
E-mail: Dagmar.Kunze@fao.org

top of page