One Health approaches to support agroecological transformation of peri-urban farming (URBANE)

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?

Funding Agency: European Union

Starting Year: 2022

Ending Year: 2026

Work Packages:

Location: Greater Accra region and Eastern region of Ghana