Ghana - Business creation project

Describe your project or startup in a few words

Danquandra Farms & Foods is an Integrated Catfish Farm with an Agro-pastoral farming system. The Agro-pastoral part of the farming comprises growing crops such as pepper, tomatoes, and vegetables with poultry fowls.

01.01 Describe your project in more detail

Danquandra Farms & Foods is an Integrated Organic farming system in that involves the rearing of catfish with poultry fowls and crops. These crops are vegetables and tomatoes. The farming system is in a circular economy so nothing will go to waste. Catfish will be reared in ponds and the poultry coop will be situated on the pond. Waste droplets from poultry will be used as manure to enrich the soil to enhance crop yield. it will also boost the growth of plankton in the pond which will serve as a source of food in the natural environment of the catfish because the waste droplets contain methane. This will also reduce the chances of methane getting into the atmosphere to contribute to climate change. Water from the pond will be used to irrigate crops to facilitate growth. The quality of Catfish, Vegetables, and poultry grown will serve as food for humans and promote food security. It will solve the problem of high-cost of fish in rural communities like Teacher Mante and its environs.

01.02 What is the main problem you are trying to solve?

Food is essential for growth and energy. Fish remains an important source of protein for humans. This project seeks to address the problem of food shortage and quality. Recently, the high rate of illegal mining has destroyed the quality of water bodies in which fishes live. Artisanal mining releases heavy metals into the water which get into these fish making them harmful for consumption. In recent times in a documentary entitled “Poised for Gold” by Erastus Donkor in Ghana, four babies were born with deformities. They did not have some body parts like sex organs and some had limbs growing on their shoulders. These babies died before being born and their mothers died upon giving birth to them. After medical testing and analysis, heavy metals were found in these babies. These mothers might have consumed foodstuffs from water bodies or land polluted with heavy metals since they were all living in regions where “galamsey” is high. This project will provide quality food from clean water

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your project intends to provide (at least 3).

The project intends to ensure food security by growing and providing quality and affordable foods and protein as quality fish become scarce. The farm is an organic farm and the will have a circular economy where waste from one organism becomes a useful product for another. The methane in the poultry droppings which could have contributed to climate change will be used as a manure to enrich the soil in which the crop grows.

01.04 Please describe who exactly your project is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

Danquandra Farms & Foods aims to serve rural communities like Teacher Mante and its Environs, schools, chop bars, cold stores, food packaging companies, and restaurants.

01.05 When did you start working on your project?

2024-04-01

01.06 How many other partners are associated with your business venture?

5

01.07 Among the other partners, how many are female?

2

01.08 Please describe the profile of each of the other partners (skills, experience, etc.)

1. Mr. Lovans Owusu Takyi is the Managing director at the Institute for Sustainable Energy and Environmental Solutions, an NGO that aims at environmental protection, renewable Energy, and biodiversity sustainability. He has advocated natural resource protection. Have won grants to establish many projects to improve livelihood like the Agroecology project and the Women in Renewable Energy project in May 2024. 2. Hadizat Ahmed is a Junior Program Officer at ISEES. She holds a degree in BSc. Natural resources Management and specialized in Fisheries and Aquaculture for two years at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. 3. Christabel Gyimah-Kwaw is a Junior Program Officer at ISEES with an interest in food production and ensuring environmental sustainability 4. Mr. George Atta Quainoo is the Human resource manager of ISEES. A farmer who rears pigs and produces biogas with the pig waste to generate electricity. 5. Prof. Agbo Nelson. A fisheries and aquaculture expert, KNUST

01.09 If you have a website, a social media page (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin…), or app, please provide the link here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandra-danquah-251b10268?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=android_app

01.10 Which industry best describes your project?

b) Materials (agriculture, fishing, chemical products, construction materials, containers and packaging, metals and mining, paper and forest products)

02.01.01 My project contributes to the No poverty goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification

This project provides direct and indirect jobs for the youth in the region which will enable them make earn some money to provide their basic needs. This improves livelihood and boost economic growth

02.02.01 My project contributes to the Zero hunger goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification

This project provides quality, local and affordable food and fish for human consumption and to ensure food security.

02.03.01 My project contributes to the Good health and well-being goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification

Protein helps to build body cells and repair worn-out tissues so poultry and fish will serve as a source of protein and energy to the human body. The crops when consumed will boost the immune system of the people promoting good health and well-being

02.04.01 My project contributes to the Quality education goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification

Danquandra Farms and Food will serve as eco-tourism for institutions and schools that have an interest in food production, agriculture and environmental protection

02.05.01 My project contributes to the Gender equality goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification

This project involves both males and females in it production and sales. the managers of the farm will be made up of 3 females and 3 males to promote gender equality.

02.06.01 My project contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification

The water used will be treated and reused and will be used to irrigate crops instead of channeling it into the sea to pollute it.

02.07.01 My project contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification

The release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere will be under control as waste dropping from poultry containing methane will be used as manure to enrich the soil in which the crop grows to improve crop yield. As ISEES is into clean cookstoves making and the farm closer to the site, students who visit the farm for practical work and tourism will be educated on the importance of using clean cookstoves alongside educating them in the farming system.

02.08.01 My project contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

7 - Strongly Agree

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification

Whilst this project provides social benefits, it also takes into consideration environmental health and safety as well as economic growth. This is an organic farm and circular economy that an organism reuses waste produced by another organism. Nothing goes waste to pollute the environment. This project also involves the youth in its operation which solve the problem of unemployment among the youth in the community. This helps in economic growth as the high dependency rate of the educated youth on their old aged and economically struggling parents and the economy.

02.09.01 My project contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

7 - Strongly Agree

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification

While most agricultural projects grow only a particular form of organism and dispose the waste into the environment to pollute the environment, this project grows and provides human needs like food as well as properly utilize the waste generated to the benefit of another organism.

02.10.01 My project contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification

02.11.01 My project contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification

In a country where food shortage is high and quality fish is scarce, this project will ensure food security, provide direct and indirect jobs for others with no or little waste produced. The project also ensures that the environment or community is protected.

02.12.01 My project contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification

As most fishes grow in water bodies polluted with heavy metals due to illegal mining, most people have the fear of buying fish, and others with less or no knowledge about the quality of food they consume end up eating fish containing heavy metals. This project will be one of the safest organic farms to purchase quality foods and fish because the farm is situated in Teacher Mante, a local community far away from an illegal mining site.

02.13.01 My project contributes to the Climate action goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification

The methane in the poultry droppings which could have contributed to climate change will be used as a manure to enrich the soil in which the crop grows.

02.14.01 My project contributes to the Life below water goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification

Overfishing is one of the causes of fish going extinct. This project will grow fish through aquaculture on land which will reduce overfishing in oceans and water bodies. This will enable fish in the water bodies to repopulate to increase in number.

02.15.01 My project contributes to the Life on land goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification

In the process of ensuring food security, this project will promote environmental sustainability, Crops grown will serve as habitat for some earthworms, butterflies, and other micro-organisms increasing the biological characteristics of the soil. The land will be enriched to grow crops and grasses which will prevent desertification.

02.16.01 My project contributes to the Peace justice and strong institutions goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.16.02 Peace justice and strong institutions - Justification

Danquandra farms and Foods will provide quality, affordable, and available food to consume. This will bring peace to society as no one worries about any heavy metals that might be in food consumed.

02.17.01 My project contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification

This project will be in partnership with the Fisheries Commission, Food and Drugs Board Authority, Authorities of the Institute for Sustainable Energy and Environmental Solutions, and Lecturers from the Department of Fisheries, watershed, and Aquaculture at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology for better implementation.

05.01 There are a large number of customers who already use a product/service very similar to the product/service we envision creating.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.02 The product/service we envision creating represents an entirely new type of product/service.

1 - Strongly Disagree

05.03 The product/service we envision creating could be described as a new technology.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.04 The product/service we envision creating is an improvement on an existing product or service.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.05 The product/service we envision creating could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.06 The product/service we envision creating responds to a demand or need that has not been satisfied by other products/services.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.07 The product/service we envision creating is a new version of an old product/service.

1 - Strongly Disagree

05.08 Justification

This project is an improvement on an existing service or product where poultry and crops are grown together on the same piece of land but the waste is channeled into the environment like the sea to pollute it. Others grow and sell the food products at a very expensive price making local communities unable to purchase. This project targets people of all levels to ensure that every end user is safe and satisfied.

05.09 Who are your main potential competitors and what makes you stand out from them?

My main potential competitors are fish farmers and Agro-pastoral farmers. This project is unique because it will solve issues beyond ensuring food security. It will serve as eco-tourism to students, employment to most of the youth, and affordable to buy

10.06 Are you initiating actions within your community to promote the role of female entrepreneurs?

As a Junior Program Officer at the Institute for Sustainable Energy and Environmental Solutions (ISEES) for National Service, I facilitated a workshop organized by ISEES (a non-governmental organization) in partnership with Gower Street on an agroecology project and women and youth in renewable Energy on 23rd, 24th, and 25th May 2024. These women were given skill training on using urine for weedicides and fertilizers, solar panel connection, liquid soap making, biomass charcoal briquette making using coconut husks, clean cookstoves and coal pots manufacturing and use and production of mushroom from rice husks and groundnut husks and given some little amount of money for start-up. This is to promote female entrepreneurs. women from Teacher Mante, Otuase, Kofipare, Okrase, Amanase, Oforikrom, Governorkrom, suhum, Nsawam, Beposo, Bepoase, and many others attended. As a service person at an NGO, I look for the social and environmental development of the community.