Summary:
As a consortium implemented by 26 institutions, URBANE is addressing this challenge of
sustainable agriculture for food nutrition security, applying a One Health approach for
tackling issues related to the application & intensification of peri-urban agriculture, as well as
providing the necessary framework for its sustainable & safe application in different contexts.
To achieve this, the project will be built around the principles of agroecology. URBANE is
building on the extensive experience in agroecology of its partners whilst exploiting friendly
tools & methods for measuring the progress & impact of the agroecological transition of
farming.
The URBANE approach will be demonstrated through 6 case studies in Africa (Nigeria,
Ghana, Senegal, Morocco, Benin, Burkina-Faso), while its transferability in other regions
will also be studied and facilitated through specific tools. New/ adapted business models will
also be worked out for the URBANE case studies, that will act as lighthouse examples of
how such business models can be – with suitable local adaptations informed by local
specificities.
Objectives: The Ghana case study will address the research questions:
1) What are the bat-pig interaction routes, involving which species and how do these vary
under free ranging versus intensive pig farming systems across ecozones?
2) Is there spill-over of different bat coronaviruses and henipaviruses into domestic pigs and
humans, and does this differ between different farming systems?
3) Is there spillover of other zoonotic viruses into people from pigs (involving highly exposed
individuals)?
4) How can agroecological farming of pigs & related feed crops, under the URBANE
approach, mitigate risks?
Project details:
Funding Agency: European Union
Starting Year: 2022
Ending Year: 2026
Category:
Location: Greater Accra region and Eastern region of Ghana