These questions were the focus of the field work in northern Ghana organised by the RUB team (Stefanie Steinbach, Valerie Graw, Niels Dedring and Andreas Rienow) of the COINS project together with partners from the ILR of the University of Bonn, ACRE Africa and the Ghanaian partner Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (SARI).

The aim was to familiarise farmers in Tamale, Ghana, with the use of digital tools through practice-oriented training and thus support them in using land more efficiently. This is because the exact field sizes and therefore the required quantities of seed, fertilisers and pesticides are often only estimated. In addition, the agricultural landscape of the region is highly variable, meaning that the division of their own fields into maize, okra, soya or other crops often changes with the season.

As part of a gender-sensitive approach, the participants received an introduction to smartphone-supported mapping of their fields, which should contribute both to better land utilisation and to strengthening their economic independence. In the days following the workshop, the method was tested together with the farmers directly on their fields. Challenges were recorded and documented, providing valuable insights for the further development of the learning materials and a planned video tutorial.

In addition, the land cover and suspended sediment load of small reservoirs, which play a key role in water availability, particularly in the dry season, were recorded. The data collected is fed into remote sensing models in order to promote approaches for monitoring and sustainable management of agricultural land.

In exchange with local project partners such as the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL), the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and relevant actors from the start-up and innovation scene, further steps for the implementation of the COINS project were discussed, including the organisation of a hackathon planned for 2025 in Ghana to promote the development of locally adapted digital approaches.

Students of geography and related disciplines (computer science, agricultural sciences, environmental sciences, etc.) are welcome to get involved in student projects and theses. Interested students should contact Junior Professor Dr Andreas Rienow or Junior Professor Dr Valerie Graw.

COINS is funded by the BMBF under the funding code 01LL2204E from 2022-2026: Project page COINS - Digital technologies support the sustainable intensification of farming methods in West Africa.