Published: July 28, 2025
MONROVIA – As Liberia faces increasing challenges in food security, climate change, and rural development, one grassroots media group is celebrating a decade of amplifying rural voices and prioritizing agriculture in the national dialogue.
The Liberia Agricultural and Environmental Journalist Network (LAEJN), founded in 2015, celebrated its 10th anniversary on July 23 by reaffirming its mission: to equip journalists to cover agriculture and climate issues while empowering smallholder farmers through information.
“We’re not just creating journalists; we’re cultivating specialists,” said Jefferson Togbah Mansah, LAEJN’s founder and executive director, during a live interview on the Liberia Broadcasting System’s Super Morning Show. “Our goal is for the media to set a new national agenda for agriculture, just as it’s done with politics.”
Mansah, a development communication expert and recipient of the George Atkins Communication Award from Farm Radio International, launched LAEJN after gaining national and international recognition for his reporting on smallholder farmers.
Building a Specialized Network
Over the past decade, LAEJN has trained nearly 40 journalists—most of whom work at community radio stations in rural counties like Bong, Lofa, and Nimba. The organization is also a member of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ), which recognized LAEJN in 2018 and helped put Liberia on the global map of specialized journalism.
The network’s activities extend well beyond traditional reporting. LAEJN trains and mentors reporters on agriculture, climate, and environmental issues, while creating practical content to support farmers. This includes market price updates, policy briefings, and best farming practices, delivered through radio dramas, interviews, newsletters, and digital campaigns.
One standout project is Connecting Farming Generations, a youth storytelling initiative that highlights young agricultural leaders to challenge negative stereotypes about farming and attract youth to the sector.
Bridging Gaps in Rural Communication
Mansah emphasized that effective communication must bridge the growing gap in agricultural extension services. With fewer than 200 agricultural extension officers nationwide, most rural farmers lack access to current information.
“There are less than 200 agricultural extension officers in the entire country,” he said. “Communication must fill that void.”
He proposed an inter-agency communication framework involving the Ministry of Agriculture, the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority, the Forestry Development Authority, the Cooperative Development Agency, and the Liberia Agriculture Commodity Regulatory Authority to streamline messaging and reduce duplication.
Impact and Reach
LAEJN currently partners with nine community radio stations, tailoring agriculture programming to the real-time needs of farmers. Field teams also conduct focus groups and monitoring to assess impact and gather feedback.
One recent success was a collaborative campaign with LACRA that empowered cocoa farmers in Bong and Nimba counties. By broadcasting regular price updates, farmers were able to resist unfair buying practices and negotiate better deals.
Shifting National Focus
Mansah believes the media must help Liberia shift from politics-dominated discourse to Development-focused dialogue, especially regarding agriculture. Liberia allocates over $200 million annually on rice imports, a figure he says is unsustainable.
“Every day, every Liberian eats,” he said. “So agriculture must be everyone’s concern.”
He also called for stronger youth engagement, including campus-based outreach in Bong, Nimba, Grand Bassa, and Lofa counties to encourage students to pursue careers in agricultural reporting and policy.
The network’s recent media appearances have sparked a nationwide conversation, with callers from rural counties sharing personal stories and voicing support for Mansah’s proposals. Among the calls were requests for government ministers to personally get involved in farming and for more funding for agricultural communications.
After 10 years, LAEJN stands as a critical link between farmers, policymakers, and the public. But Mansah says the mission is far from over.
“We’ve set the stage,” he said. “The media can help change the national mindset—but we need the support to sustain it.”
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