PARI > Country > Ghana

Ghana

Ghana is home to over 27 million people. Agriculture contributes around 30% of the GDP and employs half of the working population. 80% of agricultural production occurs in small farmer operations averaging 1.2 hectares in size. One of the country’s major problems is pronounced socio-economic North-South inequality and is the starting point of many development projects and strategies. Maize is Ghana‘s most important grain and the second most important staple crop (after cassava). Maize production is the main source of income for a majority of smallholder farmer households. Other important crops in terms of production area and volume include cocoa, yams and plantain. Cocoa is the main export crop followed by cashew, while rice dominates imports. The national diet is heavily reliant on starchy staples, which has contributed to a recent increase in rates of overweight and obesity (more than half of women in the Greater Accra region are overweight or obese), with rates of micronutrient deficiencies remaining high.

Read the full country dossier here, and read the country innovation study on the status of agricultural innovations, innovation platforms and innovation investments in Ghana here.

Agricultural Typology of Ghana:

Source: Maruyama et al. (2018)

 

Ghana on

Publications

Strategies for Transforming Smallholder Farming in Africa

Between pandemics and famines: Towards nutrition-sensitive lockdowns during Covid-19 and beyond

‘We would rather die from Covid-19 than from hunger´ – Exploring lockdown stringencies in five African countries

2020 | R. Birner | N. Blaschke | C. Bosch | T. Daum | S. Graf | D. Güttler | J. Heni | J. Kariuki | R. Katusiime | A. Seidel | Z. N. Senon | G. Woode

Published as Hohenheim Working Papers on Social and Institutional Change in Agricultural Development Nr. 005-2020.

Read the full working paper here.

A study conducted by the University of Hohenheim in five African countries as part of the SEWOH accompanying research on agricultural innovations highlights the dramatic dilemma between lockdowns and food security. Lockdowns primarily affect economic access to food, for example because people in the informal sector lose their jobs, which can lead to calorie and nutrient deficiencies. The study shows that open debates in more democratic countries helped to better maneuver through the dilemma between pandemic and famine.

Read more ‘We would rather die from Covid-19 than from hunger´ – Exploring lockdown stringencies in five African countries

From Potentials to Reality: Transforming Africa’s Food Production

2020 | H. Baumüller | J. von Braun | A. Admassie | O. Badiane | E. Baraké | J. Börner | I. Bozic | B. Chichaibelu | J. Collins | T. Daum | T. Gatiso | N. Gerber | T. Getahun | K. Glatzel | S. Hendriks | O. Kirui | L. Kornher | Z. Kubik | E. Lüdeling | A. Mirzabaev | P.G. Ndiaye | T. Sakketa | M. Shah | G. Tadesse | J. Walakira

The report is avalailable in English and German.

Read the press release to the report here.Read more From Potentials to Reality: Transforming Africa’s Food Production

Investing Sustainably in African Livestock Development: Opportunities and Trade-Offs

India-Africa Partnership in Trade and Investment: With focus on the Agriculture and Food Sector

Engagement of Policy Makers in Agricultural Innovation Processes in Ghana: Cases of Fisheries and Livestock Commodities

2019 | I. S. Egyir | R. Ampadu-Ameyaw

Published as FARA Research Report Vol. 4 No. 13

Read the full report here.

 

Policy Makers Engagement in Agricultural Innovation Processes in Ghana: Successful and Unsuccessful Cases of Technology Dissemination

PARI Policy Brief No. 18: Mechanizing African Agriculture

Understanding the Engagement of Policymakers in the Success or Failure of Agricultural Innovation Processes: Lessons from Africa Countries

Marketing and Promotional Plan for Local Rice Based on Drivers of Traders and Consumers Preferences

Mechanization in African Agriculture: A Continental Overview on Patterns and Dynamics

Differential Impacts of Conservation Agriculture Technology Options on Household Income in Sub-Saharan Africa

Yield effects of selected agronomic innovation packages in maize cropping systems of six countries in Sub-Saharan Africa

Building farmers’ capacity for innovation generation: Insights from rural Ghana

PARI Policy Brief No. 9: Innovation for Sustainable Agricultural Growth in Africa – Insights from Research Dossiers on 12 PARI Partner Countries

Factors Influencing Scaling-up of Agricultural Innovations: Lessons from Ghana

Development and Analysis of Rice Value Chains in Ghana

2017 | R. Ampadu-Ameyaw | R. Omari | G. Owosu Essegbey

Read the full report here.

Published as: Ampadu-Ameyaw, R, Omari R and Owusu Essegbey G, (2017). Development and Analysis of the Rice Value Chain for the Hohoe and Jasikan Districts of the Volta Region, Ghana. FARA research Results Vol 1(1) PP 48.Read more Development and Analysis of Rice Value Chains in Ghana

Innovation for Sustainable Agricultural Growth – 12 Country Dossiers

Farmers’ adaptation to weather extremes in the Sudan Savanna

The Neglected Governance Challenges of Agricultural Mechanization in Africa

Beyond adoption: welfare effects of farmer innovation behavior in Ghana

Enhancing resilience to climate shocks through farmer innovation: evidence from northern Ghana

PARI Policy Brief No. 5: Smallholder agricultural mechanization in Africa

How does inter-annual variability of attainable yield affect the magnitude of yield gaps for wheat and maize?

The ReSAKSS Country eAtlases

2017

The ReSAKSS Country eAtlases is a GIS-based mapping tool designed to help policy analysts and policymakers access and use high quality and highly disaggregated data on agricultural, socio-economic, and bio-physical indicators to guide agricultural policy and investment decisions.

Country Innovation Studies

2016 | Prepared by the PARI national partners and FARA

The Innovation Studies for the 12 African PARI countries provide an overview of the status of agricultural innovations, innovation platforms and innovation investment in the respective country. Read more Country Innovation Studies

On the use of agricultural system models for exploring technological innovations across scales in Africa: A critical review

2016 | R.P. Rötter | F.L. Sehomi | J.G. Höhn | J.K. Niemi | M. van den Berg

Published as: ZEF – Discussion Papers on Development Policy No. 23, Center for Development Research, Bonn.

Download full paper

Download literature database

PARI Policy Brief No. 2: Farmer Innovation Contests – Tapping the Innovative Potential of Smallholder Farmers

Progress report on Agricultural Typologies Work

2016 | M. Torero | E. Maruyama

Download progress report

PARI Policy Brief No. 1: Strategic Directions for Development Collaboration for Food Security and Agricultural Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa

Tapping Potentials of Innovation for Food Security and Sustainable Agricultural Growth – an Africa-wide Perspective

Report on Potentials and Cooperation Opportunities in African Countries

Potentials and Possibilities for German Collaboration in Agriculture – 12 Country Dossiers

Regional trade and volatility in staple food markets in Africa