Mobilising local finance

The Tele-Bere Farmers’ Cooperative is a member-based forest and farm producer organisation (FFPO) in the Upper East region of Northern Ghana, supporting smallholder farmers in one of the country’s most climate-vulnerable landscapes.

With 85% of its members women, Tele-Bere focuses on empowering rural households facing erratic rainfall, poor soil fertility and chronic food insecurity.

Recognising that financial exclusion deepened climate risks for farmers, Tele-Bere introduced the village savings and loans association (VSLA) scheme in 2018, starting with just four groups. With support from the Forest and Farm Facility (FFF), it has since scaled up dramatically.

Forest and Farm Facility activities

FFF support enabled Tele-Bere to expand the VSLA scheme to 160 active groups across Bolgatanga East district, Bolgatanga municipality and Nabdam district. FFF funding covered training on group formation, recordkeeping, financial literacy and climate-resilient livelihood planning.

Each group of approximately 30 members meets regularly to save and borrow, creating a community-managed microfinance model that provides affordable credit where banks are absent. The groups collectively mobilise up to US$360,000 per year, with an average group fund of 17,500 Ghanaian cedis (around $1,500).

This money enables members to access loans for farming inputs, for emergencies, and to start or expand small businesses.

Significance of impact

Access to VSLA loans has helped smallholders invest in drought-tolerant crops, livestock rearing, petty trading and sustainable land-use practices. The social fund provides rapid financial cushions during crises – illness, crop failure, extreme weather – ensuring families avoid distress sales of livestock or food stocks.

Women members report increased autonomy, stronger decision-making roles and greater confidence in community leadership. Most significantly, participation in VSLAs has directly improved food and nutrition security: members can purchase food during lean seasons, diversify diets and maintain savings all year round – an essential buffer in the semi-arid zone.

Financially-secure households are also more willing to engage in tree planting, soil conservation and sustainable farming.

Conclusion

FFF support has enabled the Tele-Bere Farmers’ Cooperative to scale a community-rooted financial model that strengthens resilience, boosts women’s economic empowerment and improves food security for thousands of smallholder farmers in Northern Ghana.

The VSLA scheme is now a cornerstone of climate adaptation for communities that previously had no formal financial safety net. It is a model ready to be replicated across other climate-vulnerable landscapes in the region.