Expanding social protection

Across rural Ghana, smallholder farmers face persistent risks from economic shocks, health emergencies and climate change. Forest and farm producer organisations (FFPOs) have long provided their members with informal support – such as assistance during illness or funerals – but these systems were undocumented and limited in reach.

With support from the Forest and Farm Facility (FFF), the Ghana Federation of Forest and Farm Producers (GhaFFaP) has strengthened and formalised these mechanisms while linking farmers to national social protection programmes, transforming fragmented goodwill into durable, structured safety nets for thousands of rural households.

Forest and Farm Facility activities

A cornerstone of this transformation has been the expansion of village savings and loans associations (VSLAs). GhaFFaP currently supports 1,866 VSLAs reaching more than 50,000 producers, most of whom are women and young people.

In 2025, these groups collectively mobilised approximately 59.6 million Ghanaian cedis (around US$5.1 million) in savings, financing farm investments, small businesses and household needs. Each VSLA also operates a social fund providing emergency support and reinforcing community solidarity.

Beyond savings, GhaFFaP worked closely with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection to link 2,856 farmers – mostly women and young people – to the National Health Insurance Scheme and the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty programme. Advocacy efforts enabled more than 500 women to secure land for agricultural production.

FFF Phase II also drove VSLA digitalisation, allowing members like Patricia Awuni, a cocoa farmer from the Ashanti region, to receive payments directly on her phone: “Now I can access my money without going to the bank – it gives me peace of mind,” she said.

Significance of impact

Women and young people have played active roles not only as beneficiaries but as leaders and facilitators within these systems, ensuring sustainability and inclusivity.

Access to health insurance, land and digital finance has reduced vulnerability, increased economic confidence and deepened trust between producer organisations and government institutions.

FFPOs have evolved from informal support networks into effective platforms for delivering both community-based and formal social protection at scale.

Conclusion

With FFF’s support, GhaFFaP has demonstrated that strengthening producer organisations goes beyond agricultural productivity.

By integrating social protection into their operations, FFPOs are improving resilience, inclusion and wellbeing for thousands of rural households – and building systems that will endure well beyond the programme.