GRO Greenhouses
The Problem
Agriculture accounts for more than half of Sierra Leone’s Gross Domestic Product, and two thirds of the population are engaged in subsistence farming. Although farming is a staple of the nation’s economy, most crops in Sierra Leone are grown largely under rain-fed conditions, making them significantly vulnerable to variable seasonality of rainfall. Climate change is expected to exacerbate the inconsistencies in crop yields that occur across the wet and dry seasons, increasing the frequency of extreme events and varying the timing of rainfall. As it is, vegetables in Sierra Leone are limited in both supply and variety and available only half of the year.
WHI's Solution
World Hope International (WHI), Pennsylvania State University’s Humanitarian Engineering and Social Entrepreneurship Program (PSU-HESE) and Lehigh University work with local partners to sell GRO Greenhouses in Sierra Leone, helping farmers grow vegetables year-round and in a manner that is adaptive to changing climates.
GRO Greenhouses are portable, expandable and, at approximately $800, priced so that farmers can recover their cost in a relatively short period. They can be constructed in just two days and last over five years – a stark difference from conventional small-scale greenhouses that are expensive, high-maintenance and difficult to construct.
In 2014, the GRO project was named an Innovation Awardee in the Securing Water for Food Grand Challenge for Development, which aims to identify and accelerate innovative technologies and market-driven approaches that improve water sustainability, ultimately helping to boost food security and alleviate poverty.
The Impact
GRO Greenhouses provide a more controlled environment for farming, reducing water consumption and ensuring crop production despite seasonal fluctuations in weather. The ability to cultivate crops the whole year guarantees greater food security, as crops are not susceptible to rainy and dry seasons. Greenhouses also allow farmers to grow more produce with far less water, the benefits of which expand into education and social protection, particularly for girls, who often bear the household burden of collecting water. Further, the ability to grow crops all year allows farmers to sell crops to the market when prices for produce are higher. Vegetables hold a high profit margin in sub-Saharan Africa, where supply is limited and malnutrition is high. Popular vegetables grown in GRO Greenhouses include: sweet peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, okra, hot peppers, cucumbers and African eggplant.
By developing an independent for-profit GRO Greenhouse business in each country, WHI will:
- Reduce agricultural water consumption
- Increase volume of produce sold
- Increase number hectares of land with affordable greenhouses
- Enhance farmer adoption of the greenhouses
Support food and income security for GRO Greenhouse farmers by giving today.