Notes from the Field

In Ghana, Ripples women stakeholder farmers are reintroducing centuries-old principles of agroforestry to plant 50,000 Shea trees, and 2000 Cashew trees, while farmers in Nigeria have over 50,000 acres of Cashew. This regenerative form of agroforestry mimics nature in a holistic system that unites trees, crops and plants with livestock to create a “self-sustaining production …

Agroforestry: How Ripples Women Are Protecting The Soil in Nigeria and Ghana Read More »

Organic and Fair Trade certification for shea butter opens doors to new markets and increase wages by 3 to 4 times. But the upfront investment can be out of reach for smallholder farmers. Thanks to UN funding that gap was closed in 2021. The initial seed investment to cover year one of certification was provided …

UN Provides seed money for Ripples Shea Butter Organic and Fair Trade Certification Read More »

Background: In 2015 we asked our women entrepreneurs what else they needed from Ripples to succeed.  What we heard most often was family healthcare. As mothers, women were forced to stop working to care for their sick children and family members. Some of these illnesses had the potential to be long and possibly fatal due …

Notes from the field: The Business Case for Family Healthcare Read More »

Who: Madam Rabi Background: Solution: Impact:

Background: Rural Nigerian communities are faced with a growing hunger challenge due to extreme droughts and flooding that are decimating farms. Solution: Ripples Farm Model Ripples worked with the council of Chiefs (the community decision making body made up of men) to get buy-in to start up a woman run stakeholder farm.   Farms were …

Food Security and Smallholder Farming Read More »