The paper aims to draw conclusions about the likely potential of various IMTs in coastal Ghana. Although the paper was prepared with specific reference to a set of study villages in two rural districts of Central Region, in southern Ghana, as background for a small action research project, planned to commence in February 2001, it will have wider application in Ghana and sub-Saharan Africa. The initial research for this paper was conducted prior to the inception of our action research programme, but further material has come to light over time, and consequently the first draft of the paper, completed in January 2001, has been revised while the project has been ongoing. It thus incorporates relevant material from additional studies, such as the reports by Maramba and Bamberger (April 2001) and Paul Starkey (May 2001).