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By Henry B. Gboluma, Jr.
BOPOLU CITY, Gbarpolu ~ In a major boost to sustainable agriculture, ActionAid Liberia is making significant strides in Gbarpolu County through its support to the Gbarpolu Caadp non state actor Demonstration Site. The initiative is providing women and smallholder farmers the opportunity to practicalised community based agriculture demonstration site that promotes food security.
Technicians with support from the Ministry of Agriculture extension services has made the center of learning and experience sharing among small holders farmers.
Located in Bopolu City the center has become a knowledge and sharing experience center for innovation and learning, particularly among women farmers. Farmers are learning new farming techniques, composting, organic pest control, including soil health management.
The site is one of the three demonstration centers in Gbarpolu , Bong and Montserrado that is part of the Forum Civ Medium Partnership (FMP), an initiative designed to promote organic farming, women’s empowerment, and climate resilience across rural Liberia. The project focuses on teaching practical skills that help farmers adapt to climate change, improve soil health, and increase food production using local, eco-friendly methods.
Recently, the site harvested bags of corns. All thanks to action Aid said Hawa koiwood who is the leader of the Gbarpolu Caadp non state actor.
The project is also empowering women to take on leadership roles in their communities. In addition to technical training, participants in Bopolu City are being engaged with Village savings and loan Activity (VSLA). Last month the group was able to disbursed more than 300000 Liberian dollars to it’s members at the end of the savings period.The savings and loan is an arrangement not only to empower women but also to demonstrate leadership at the community level.
“The demonstration site is not just about farming—it’s about transformation and taking ownership of community initiative,” said Romeo Kaydea, Program Officer at ActionAid Liberia. “We believe that when women are equipped with knowledge and build agency, they become powerful change-makers not only in agriculture but across their communities.”
The FMP project is helping to reverse climate change challenges by placing women at the center of farming solutions.
In Liberia, women make up over 60% of the agricultural workforce, yet they remain the least likely to own land or access resources. ActionAid Liberia’s agroecology initiative is working to close that gap by training women as leaders, educators, and change agents in their communities.
The project is currently working with 45 lead farmers across Bong, Gbarpolu, and Rural Montserrado Counties. Each lead farmer mentors at least six others, creating a ripple effect that is reaching over 300 smallholder farmers so far.
Climate change is leaving many rural Liberian households’ food insecure. With increasingly rainfall and degrading soil, farming families—especially women—struggle to maintain reliable harvests. More than one in four rural households is food insecure, and many live on less than $1.90 a day.
The FMP project addresses these challenges holistically. In addition to teaching sustainable farming techniques, it also raises awareness about climate change, connects women to better markets, and advocates for policies that promote gender equity and environmental justice.
