SPARK: Ghana
SPARK (Strengthening Public Accountability for Results and Knowledge) is an ambitious and innovative global program to arm marginalized groups and activists with the tools necessary to engage in budget processes and affect transformational change in their lives.
In Ghana, SPARK works with smallholder rice farmers who are part of the Peasant Farmer Association of Ghana (PFAG), to confront late delivery and poor access to subsidized fertilizer and associated services.
The Problem
Smallholder farmers rely heavily on subsidized fertilizer to ensure they can plant crops and provide food security for the country. Despite their critical role, these farmers are often unable to access fertilizer when they need it due to many challenges in the implementation, allocation and transparency of the Fertilizer Subsidy Programme (FSP).
Challenges to accessing the FSP include:
- Poor identification and targeting of smallholder farmers
- Budget allocation is not transparent nor linked to the actual number of targeted beneficiaries
- Fertilizer does not always reach the farmers where they are
- Challenges with identifying and paying suppliers inhibits the timely supply and delivery of fertilizer to farmers