Liberia Agricultural and Environmental Journalists Network (LAEJN) Promote informed journalism and public engagement on agricultural and environmental nalists Network (LAEJN)
By Josiah Pailay/+231881913880 / +231775260307/josiahpailay7@gmail.com
In a major boost to sustainable agriculture and women’s empowerment, ActionAid Liberia is making significant strides in Bong County through its support to the Khulima Women’s Organic Demonstration Site. The initiative is providing women and smallholder farmers with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to practice organic farming that promotes food security while protecting the environment.
Located in Chief Compound Community, just outside Gbarnga City, the Khulima site has quickly become a hub for innovation and learning, particularly among women farmers. With technical and logistical support from ActionAid Liberia, the demonstration farm is offering hands-on training in eco-friendly farming techniques, composting, organic pest control, and soil health management.
The Khulima site is part of the broader Feminist and Participatory Agroecology Project (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 welcomed visiting farmers from nearby towns such as SKT, Bellefanai, and Pea Body Town. These farmers came to observe firsthand how organic techniques are being used to grow crops like cassava, yam, and plantain. For many, it was their first time seeing agroecology in action.
Speaking at a recent site visit, project lead Famatta Kromah described the initiative as a “turning point” for rural women. “Many of us grew food before, but didn’t know how to do it in a way that protected our land and our health. Now we’re learning how to feed our families, earn an income, and take care of the environment,” she said.
The project is also empowering women to take on leadership roles in their communities. In addition to technical training, participants are being engaged in discussions around gender equity, land rights, and community resilience in the face of climate change.
“The Khulima site is not just about farming—it’s about transformation,” said Jestina Johnson, Program Officer at ActionAid Liberia. “We believe that when women are equipped with knowledge and agency, they become powerful change-makers not only in agriculture but across their communities.”
“This demonstration site is necessary. It will serve as a practical learning center for organic farming,” said Juba Jackson, a woman farmer from SKT. “We’ve been hearing about organic methods, but now we can see and learn for ourselves. I’m encouraging other farmers to see organic farming as a way to increase our yields without destroying the soil.”
Like many women in Liberia’s agriculture sector, Juba has faced years of farming on depleted soil, unpredictable weather patterns, and a lack of access to training or tools. The FMP project is helping to reverse those 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.
“We need more of these demonstration sites in faraway communities,” said Vambah Jangbah, a vegetable grower from Pea Body Town. “It will help more farmers, especially women, to learn new ways to farm and also understand climate change.”
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.
The stakes are high. Climate change has left many rural Liberian households’ food insecure. With increasingly erratic 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.
ActionAid Liberia is implementing the project in close partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Environmental Protection Agency, Ministry of Gender, and various youth and community-based organizations.
