Agriculture
From The Report: Ghana 2022
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With an estimated 44.7% of the workforce employed in the agriculture sector, farming, forestry and fisheries are not only central activities to Ghana’s economy but are key components of society. However, the strengthening of the sector was brought into stark relief by the Covid-19 pandemic, during which local food prices increased in some parts of the country. While the country is a key producer of cocoa, the development of value-added activities related to processing agricultural commodities remains nascent. Other challenges include climate change, deforestation, lack of mechanisation and the difficulty smallholder farmers to reach economies of scale. Overall, performance in the next few years strongly depends on the ability to create new methods for financing within the sector.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Harvest season: Government initiatives to bolster crop yields and aid value addition support sustainable expansion
OBG
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With an estimated 44.7% of the workforce employed in the agriculture sector, farming, forestry and fisheries are not only central parts of Ghana’s economy but are key parts of society. Many of the individuals employed in the sector are smallholder farmers, producing a wide variety of products, from coconuts to rice. The country is also the world’s second-largest producer of cocoa beans, after Côte d’Ivoire. The importance of strengthening the sector was brought into stark relief by the Covid-19…

Analysis

Tech solutions: Public and private sector players adopt innovative technologies to solve pressing agricultural issues and constraints
OBG
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With many of Ghana’s small farmers unable to afford their own tractors and other items of agricultural machinery, planting, harvesting and a variety of other essential tasks are often difficult and labour intensive. However, in recent years the sector has adopted innovative solutions to bridge gaps in mechanisation and financing, as well as facilitate wider growth and reduce costs. At the same time, digitisation is helping build comprehensive databases to support the more efficient targeting and…

Analysis

Foods of the future: Opportunities in low-carbon, food-production alternatives
OBG
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As the world works to bring climate change under control, there is a growing awareness of the negative ramifications of many forms of food production. As a result, some foodstuffs with smaller carbon footprints are gaining traction, creating opportunities for emerging markets. The production and consumption of food accounts for over 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions and more than 90% of freshwater consumption, highlighting the importance of fostering food-production systems that consume fewer…