The Women in Agricultural Development Directorate (WIAD), is one of the seven Technical Directorates of the Ministry of Food and

Agriculture (MOFA).

Vision

A highly professional and competent Public Institution that supports livelihood and well being of especially women in the agricultural sector.

Mission

To develop effective policies and programs that promotes delivery of improved technologies and information on agricultural production and post production in an environmentally sustainable manner.

Functions

To promote

• Improved nutrition interventions: bio-fortification, food fortification, food enrichment, nutrition education in relation to food production, post production and food consumption.
• Value addition to agricultural produce: food processing and preservation
• Food safety along the agricultural value chain (eg safe production and handling of exotic vegetables, cottage level processing, etc)
• Resource management (farm, home, processing site)
• Gender mainstreaming of all agricultural policies, programs and projects

The Directorates have four Units namely:

1. Nutrition
2. Food Safety
3. Value addition and
4. Gender/Livelihoods

For Further information, please contact:

Directorate of Women in Agricultural Development (WIAD)

P. O. Box MB 37

Accra

Tel: 233 302 675920

Website: www.mofa.gov.gh

Responsibilities

WIAD is primarily responsible for Policy formulation – Developing and ensuring the implementation of policies which are beneficial to especially women farmers and processors in the rural, suburban and urban communities.

Provision of Technical backstopping to regional and district staff for effective transfer of appropriate technologies to farm families in crop, livestock and fish production, processing, utilization and marketing through regional officers and other stakeholders. In addition, WIAD collaborates with various institutions including research, Projects and MOFA Directorates in order to support dissemination and capacity building efforts to the regions and districts. Monitoring and Evaluation of implemented programs at the regions and districts are also part of our responsibility.

SOME ACHIEVEMENTS

• With the mandate to integrate gender concerns in policies, programs and projects of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture the implementation status of the Gender and Agricultural Development Strategy (GADS) which was launched in 2004 has been assessed.
•  An Accountability framework for the GADS has been developed and costing of the Strategy is on course. These issues are being addressed as part of Gender Trigger Targets, MoFA Directorates were assessed based  on the identification of at least one priority gender related program corresponding with MOFA‘s identified priority gender issues (GADS, objectives), incorporated in annual work plans. The first Four (4) Directorates identified and reported on 2010 gender trigger targets were:

1. Animal Production Directorate had a gender sensitive plan and budget for the cockerel project, achieving improved extension services and credit to both male and female.

1.  The Directorate of Agricultural Extension Services improve access to extension services and credit to both male and female, a manual (IEC material) for FBOs was developed and distributed to meet needs of both males and females.
2. The Statistic Research and Information Directorate planned and budgeted to engender their data collection tools, train the enumerators and establish a gendered functional data bank.
3. The Women in Agricultural Development Directorate on Diversification and development of newly processed products, developed corn, soya bread with different percentages of corn, soya, and wheat flour. This is also a bid to mop up excesses grain from production and reduce post harvest losses. A Cost-benefit-analysis was also done for the multi-grain bread.

Four (4) other MOFA Directorates that planned and implemented gender trigger activities for 2011 were:

1. The Directorate of Crop Services reported as planned and implemented on promoting measures that contribute to improve access to credit by farmers especially women which was achieved through provision of inputs in form of seedlings, fertilizer and cash to establish and maintain rubber, coconut and oil palm plantations.  There was also provision of parboiling equipment to 120 processors in 6 communities to enhance quality of rice processed.
2. The Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate (PPRSD), carried out activities to improve extension delivery to men and women farmers’ needs through the development of training materials for farmers and exporters on marketing quality standards. The directorate also trained men and women farmers and exporters on safe use and handling of pesticides.
3. he Agricultural Engineering Services Directorate (AESD), implemented activities to reduce post harvest losses of grains and increase farmers income especially women farmers, processors and traders through the use of Super Grain Bags for storage of grains.
4. The Veterinary Services Directorate (VSD), improved extension and communication services through training men and women livestock farmers to reduce poultry and animal diseases.

RECIPE DEVELOPMENT/TRIALS

• Trials on ‘Seidu Belle’ yam (grown around Bole in the Northern Region) is completed and excerpts will be featured on the Recipe for the month slot on the website.
• In response to utilization of some new commodities WIAD is trying out recipes on the Butternut Squash to make use of the lot which will not be exported. Trials will also be carried out on the Orange Flesh Sweet Potato to promote vitamin A nutrition through food sources.
• Further work was carried out on the multi-grain bread with different proportions of corn, soya, and wheat flour. Sensory evaluation was conducted on the different proportions of bread based on Taste, Texture, Aroma and Appearance. A   combination of 6 parts wheat flour; 2 soya flour and 2 corn flour) ((6WF:2SF:2CF)) came out as the most preferred by assessors.

STAFF TRAINING

• The second batch of training of 30 new District WIAD officers has been carried out as part of the staff capacity development at the level of implementation.
• WIAD benefitted from GIZ for a capacity building workshop which was aimed at refocusing its programs. A total of thirty (30) National, Regional and District staff were involved and facilitation was by Mr John Nkum, the NEPAD/CAADP facilitator.
• Africa Lead has trained 4 WIAD staff in the Scaling Up for Food Security and Nutrition as part of the Rapid Results 100 which aims at completing a food security related project in 100 days
• WIAD also supported 4 trader-processor group for the same program to improve the management of their business as well as add on to their product range
• District Staff at Tontro in New Tafo and Achiase Junction, Birim South were backstopped with training in soap and pomade making with funds from the Youth and Agricultural Program. Overall, thirty eight and forty three groups members were reached in the two districts respectively.

PUBLICATIONS:

• Nerica Rice Recipe Booklet.
• Poster on soya bean milk and flour processing has been developed. A manual on Soy utilization manual has also been completed
• A compilation activity on near extinct foods in the Volta Region to ensure the promotion of local food consumption and document indigenous knowledge for the future generations has been completed. Excerpts will be featured on the Recipe for the month.
• With rapid urbanization and urban agriculture threatened, a manual for Off-farm livelihood activities in 3 agro ecological zones has been compiled.
• Flyers on Nutritional Benefits of Fruits
• Food Safety Training Manual for Small Scale/Cottage Food Business

DOCUMENTARY

• A documentary on improved systems for pepper drying for safer product and higher incomes has been developed. Pepper consumption has increased as it is consumed in breakfast foods (porridges), and with or in main meals. It has now become very prominent at fast food joints and very much part of students’ meals and for export as dried pepper and Shitor sauce hence the need to enhance the handling at the pre-processing areas drying by the roadside and other unhygienic places but towards communal drying areas with improved facilities and this has been endorsed by some District Chief Executives who were interviewed.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO OTHER AGENCIES:

• Drafting of Food Safety Policy (Ministry of Health)
• National Nutrition Policy (Ministry of Health)
• Participation in National and Regional Policy Fair
• Scaling Up Nutrition (Ghana Health Service-Ministry of Health/National Development Planning Commission)

• South-South Peer Review on Nutrition Policy of The Gambia (Ghana Health Service-Ministry of Health)
• Composite Flour Policy (Ministry of Environment Science and Technology)
• Country Programming Framework(FAO)
• Participation in UN International Women’s Day (Ministry of Women and Children)

Collaborating Institutions

• German International Agency (GIZ)- Benefited from Capacity building (equipment, training)
• Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) – Collaborating on Gender Issues
• Nutrition Department (Ghana Health Service) – Contributed to development of Advocacy tool (Profiles 3), National Nutrition Policy, Fact Sheets on Nutrition, South-South Peer Review
• Food Research Institute (FRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) – Collaboration on food-related activities
• Food and Agriculture Organisation – Collaboration on Nutrition, Food Safety and Gender related programs
• Ministry of Women and Children (MOWAC) – Gender program
• Food and Drugs Board (FDB) – contributing to the development of a National Food Safety Policy,
• Others:
  • Ghana Standards Board (GSB)- supporting the development of Educational Material of commodity standards
  • USAID- Community based Nutrition program in the Northern Region
  • Office of the Head of Civil Service/Civil Service Training School (OHCS /CSTC) – supporting the Ethical Leadership and Quality Productivity Improvement Training Program for mid carrier Civil Servants
  • Nutrition and Food Science Dept, University of Ghana, Legon- supporting the establishment of a database on Local foods, Community based Nutrition program
  • National Board for small Scale Industries (NBSSI): Provide assistance on Business Management
  • United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF): Nutrition related programs
  • MOFA- BASED: Women specific issues

-New Rice for Africa (NERICA) – food trials promote the consumption of local rice

– Export Marketing and Quality Assurance Project (EMQAP) – Promotion of safety and nutritional importance of fruits and vegetables

– Root and tuber Improvement Program (RTIMP) –collaborating with Component C ie Support to Small scale root and tuber processing

-Youth in Agricultural Program: Income generating activities on local soap and pomade making