In a significant stride towards fostering gender-inclusive and sustainable agricultural practices, ActionAid Liberia’s Transformative Impact Fund (TIF) project has embarked on a Trainer of Trainers (TOT) program focused on compost production. The training, held in Gbarnga, targeted extension officers from the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) across three counties, with a special emphasis on supporting smallholder women farmers.

While initially designed to train 15 extension officers from Bong, Gbarpolu and Montserrado counties, the current session witnessed the participation of 15 officers along with an additional volunteer, all eager to enhance their knowledge in compost production techniques to better assist smallholder women farmers.

Recognizing the critical role that women play in agriculture, particularly in smallholder farming communities, ActionAid Liberia’s program seeks to equip extension officers with the skills and knowledge necessary to support and empower these women farmers. Through subsequent training sessions, extension officers will directly engage with 936 smallholder women farmers, providing them with guidance and resources to incorporate compost production and agroecological practices into their farming methods.

The inclusion of smallholder women farmers is not only a matter of equity but also essential for achieving sustainable agricultural development whereby empowering women farmers with the knowledge and resources to adopt sustainable farming practices, we can enhance their livelihoods, improve food security, and promote resilience in rural communities.

ActionAid Liberia also  aims to address the unique challenges and barriers they face in accessing agricultural resources and decision-making processes. Through empowerment and capacity-building initiatives, women farmers can become agents of change within their communities, driving towards more resilient and inclusive agricultural systems.

Moreover, the collaboration between ActionAid Liberia and the Ministry of Agriculture signifies a joint commitment to gender-responsive and sustainable agricultural development. By leveraging the expertise of extension officers, ActionAid Liberia aims to create a multiplier effect, reaching a larger number of smallholder women farmers and catalyzing positive change at the grassroots level.