Leveraging School-Based Agricultural Education could be a panacea to Liberia's entrenched food insecurity problem in the long term, a new study has revealed.
The new study, whose findings were released last week in Monrovia, highlights the success of a School-Based Agricultural Education (SBAE) program in Liberia. The program, implemented by 4-H Liberia, offers hope for improved agricultural technology diffusion and enhanced rural education. 4-H Liberia, originally established in 1956 with support from the U.S. Point Four Program, quickly grew into a national movement with over 27,000 members by the 1970s. It was led by the Ministry of Agriculture in partnership with the Ministry of Education. The Liberian Civil War disrupted its progress but, in 2006, Umaru Sheriff and a group of university students revived 4-H. Today, 4-H Liberia is active in over 150 junior high schools across six counties, empowering more than 4000 rural youth each year through agricultural education and leadership development.
Researchers Christopher Udry and Jimmy Lee from Northwestern University and Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the program across 197 schools. The evaluation found that the 4-H program--when combined with parental and community engagement--can significantly boost both the adoption of yield increasing agricultural technologies and students' educational outcomes.
Trent McKnight, founder of AGRICORPS, and Researcher Lee, through a PowerPoint presentation, revealed the findings from the study at the event last week.
"Agriculture is crucial to ensuring food security throughout the world and lifting people out of poverty, and learning the best agricultural practices at an early stage, especially in school, guarantees economic growth and improves quality of life for every community," Udry said in an interview. "In 40 years of studying the diffusion of agricultural innovation in Africa, 4-H is one of the most effective interventions that I have ever seen that encourages adult farmers to test a new technology."
"By integrating agriculture into the school program, communities can build a knowledgeable and skilled workforce that drives agricultural innovation and economic growth, ultimately reducing poverty and improving quality of life," G. Umaru Sheriff, 4-H Liberia Executive Director, said. "Schools and school gardens can become knowledge hubs for the whole community".
Context
Despite its favorable climate and rich soils, Liberia has long battled severe food insecurity, driven by extreme poverty and inefficiencies in its agricultural systems. The 2021 Global Hunger Index classifies Liberia's hunger levels as "serious," ranking it 110th out of 116 countries. With over two million people living below the poverty line--approximately 47% of the population--food insecurity remains a persistent issue. The World Food Program's 2022 Rapid Food Security, Livelihoods, Nutrition, and Markets Assessment found that around 424,000 Liberians face severe food gaps, while over 531,000 experience acute food insecurity, compounded by high food prices. Alarmingly, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported that, during Liberia's lean season from June to August 2023, about 21,500 people were projected to be in emergency-level food insecurity.
However, the new study of Liberia's 4-H program presents a potential solution. The 4-H initiative seeks to address both agricultural inefficiencies and educational challenges, combining hands-on farm work with classroom learning in rural schools. Modeled after two century-old U.S. agricultural education programs (4-H and Future Farmers), the program teaches junior high school students modern farming techniques, encouraging them to grow home gardens and share knowledge with their families and communities. The program also aims to close the gap in agricultural extension services, which currently reach only 3% of rural households in Liberia.
Students of the 4-H Liberia program being taught how to handle cassava
The four-year impact evaluation, covering 197 communities across six counties--Bomi, Bong, Gbarpolu, Lofa, Margibi, and Nimba--assessed the program's effects on youth and adult farmers. It also tested the role of parental and community engagement by integrating promotional videos and farmer field days. Preliminary results show the program's potential to improve agricultural productivity, reduce school dropout rates, and enhance rural livelihoods, highlighting the importance of targeted investments in programs like 4-H to help Liberia overcome its food security challenges.
Key findings from the study reveal the substantial impact of the 4-H program on both agricultural practices and education:
- Technology Adoption: The program increased the adoption of agricultural technologies, such as improved bed preparation methods, by 62% among students and 15% among their parents. These results are 2-3 times higher than typical adult-targeted agricultural extension programs in Sub-Saharan Africa, indicating the effectiveness of empowering in-school youth as agents of change in the diffusion of farming innovations.
- Educational Outcomes: Despite concerns that participation in 4-H club activities might detract from academic performance, the study found the opposite. The program reduced school dropout rates by 23% and improved attendance by 24%, with particularly strong effects for girls. Notably, the pass rate for girls taking the junior high public exam increased by 45%. Additionally, the program improved students' economic well-being, increasing their savings by 92% and raising interest in studying agriculture by 38%.
Despite some implementation challenges, including teacher turnover and the COVID-19 pandemic, 4-H Liberia's program has proven to be cost-effective, the researchers said. Preliminary calculations suggest the program can break even in just four years, with the potential to reach a benefit-cost ratio of 2:1 within six years.
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Lead researchers believe that with further refinement, including enhanced teacher training and deeper curriculum integration, the 4-H program could become a powerful catalyst for both agricultural development and education in rural Liberia. Speaking at last week's event in Monrovia, Mrs. Lorpu Kandakai, Registrar General at the Cooperative Development Agency and a 4-H alumna from the 1970s, highlighted how the program teaches youth to collaborate and make collective decisions, essential skills for building strong cooperatives-- a cornerstone of agricultural transformation under the Ministry of Agriculture's newly launched 6-year National Agricultural Development Plan.
The next steps involve scaling the program and overcoming implementation barriers to maximize its impact on future generations. 4-H Liberia is collaborating with the Ministries of Education and Agriculture to explore expanding the program to all rural junior high schools nationwide. Its long-term success and sustainability depend on strong partnerships with local schools, agricultural research and extension programs, and key stakeholders along the agricultural value chain, both locally and nationally.
This promising model could also offer insights for other low- and middle-income countries facing similar challenges in rural education and agricultural productivity.
