5. Case study: Assessment of Biodiversity Conservation Potential of ISFM in Northern Ghana
This case study draws on biodiversity assessment work conducted by WASCAL under the COINS (Co-developing innovations for sustainable land management in West African smallholder farming systems) project. Funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) within the framework of its FONA (Research for Sustainable Development) programme, COINS is being implemented in northern Ghana (with a focus on ISFM) and northern Senegal (with a focus on Systems Rice Intensification, SRI). The project aims to promote sustainable farming and land-use practices, alongside supportive governance mechanisms, to improve livelihoods and food security while enhancing natural capital through the reversal of land degradation and improved resource-use efficiency. Within this context, the specific objective of this case study was to assess the biodiversity conservation potential of ISFM in comparison with conventional agriculture at the farm level in northern Ghana.