The National Association of Kpelle & Kpelle Speaking People (NAKKSP) has completed a four‑day training on climate‑smart agriculture for Kpelle farmers drawn from communities in Bong, Lofa, and Margibi Counties. The training aimed to strengthen farmers’ capacity to adapt to changing weather patterns, protect soil health, and improve household food security.
Many smallholder farmers in Kpelle‑speaking areas depend on rain‑fed agriculture and traditional methods that are increasingly challenged by unpredictable rainfall, soil degradation, and pests. Through this program, NAKKSP is equipping farmers with practical tools and knowledge to sustain their farms while protecting the environment.
The training combined classroom‑style discussions with hands‑on field demonstrations, allowing farmers to see and practice new techniques including mulching, composting, crop rotation, improved seed selection, and water‑saving methods.
“Climate‑smart agriculture is not something foreign,” explained one of the facilitators. “It builds on the knowledge farmers already have, but helps them organize their work in a way that protects the soil, saves water, and reduces losses. When farmers produce more food in a sustainable way, the whole community benefits.”
Participants also discussed the importance of diversifying crops, planting trees, and using improved storage methods to reduce post‑harvest losses. Farmers shared their own experiences on how delayed rains, flooding, or prolonged dry spells have affected their harvests in recent years.
During group work sessions, farmers mapped out their farms, identified areas of risk, and developed simple action plans to apply at least three new practices in the next planting season. Many participants expressed interest in forming small learning groups to continue sharing experiences after the training.
“We learned that even simple changes, like planting trees along the borders of our farms or using compost instead of burning crop residue, can make a big difference,” said one participant from Lofa County. “If we work together, we can protect our land for our children.”
The training also highlighted the role of women and youth in agriculture. Special sessions were held with women farmers to discuss access to land, decision‑making in the household, and opportunities to add value to agricultural products through processing and marketing.
Over the coming months, NAKKSP will continue to work with farmer groups, local authorities, and agricultural extension workers to:
- Support demonstration plots in Kpelle‑speaking communities;
- Facilitate farmer‑to‑farmer learning visits;
- Promote savings groups and cooperatives for farm inputs and marketing;
- Encourage tree planting and soil conservation measures; and
- Document local best practices that can be shared widely.
The climate‑smart agriculture initiative is part of NAKKSP’s broader livelihoods program, which seeks to help Kpelle and Kpelle‑speaking families build resilient incomes while protecting their environment. By combining traditional knowledge with practical innovations, the association hopes to see stronger, more food‑secure communities across its areas of work.
NAKKSP is inviting interested partners, agribusiness actors, and development organizations to collaborate in scaling up these efforts to more Kpelle‑speaking communities in Liberia.