INSTITUTIONALIZING ECOLOGICAL ORGANIC

AGRICULTURE IN GHANABY

EMELIA MONNEYDIRECTORATE OF CROP SERVICES

MINISTRY OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, ACCRA, GHANA

Outline of Presentation

• Introduction, • Research, training and extension• Market development and value chain• Networking and partnership• Constraints and strategies to strengthen the ecological and organic

agriculture sector• Conclusion and recommendations

Introduction

Government of Ghana Agriculture SectorSector-wide Approach to Agriculture DevelopmentStakeholders IncludeState agencies whose activities affect agriculture development

Universities and Research, Ministries of Road and Highways, Trade and Industries and their allied institutions, environmental protection agency, regional and district administration, the financial sector, etc.

Private sector industry playersFramers, input dealers, service providers etc.

Non Governmental agenciesDonor agencies and international players

UN-FAO, FARA, GIZ-MOAP, USAID etc.

Government Agriculture Sector Policy and PlanThe national agenda takes into account African (CAADP, ECOWAP)

and Global (MDGs etc.) agriculture goals.The Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda (GSGDA)

prioritized modernization of agriculture as a pillar for the socioeconomic development of the country.

Government Agriculture Sector Policy and PlanThe Food and Agriculture Sector Development

Policy (FASDEP II) elaborates the agriculture priorities of the national agenda.

Medium Term Agriculture Sector Investment Plan (METASIP, 2011-2015) sets out the medium term activities.

There are six (6) policy objectives in the FASDEP II and corresponding six (6) programmes with outputs and activities in the METASIP.

Food and Agriculture Sector Policy – FASDEP IIVision

Modernized agriculture sector leading to Structural transformation of the economy evident in:

• Improved food security, • Increase employment opportunities, and• Significantly reduced poverty/wealth creation

Food and Agriculture Sector Policy – FASDEP II

Six policy objectives Food security, emergency preparedness, and reduced income

variabilityImproved growth in incomes Sustainable management of land and environmentIncreased competitiveness and enhanced integration into

domestic and international marketsApplication of science and technology in food and agriculture

developmentEffective Institutional Coordination

• It is within this framework that institutionalizing of ecological organic agriculture is currently taking place. • Because it is sector-wide, we consider all the different sectors and

how they impact/contribute to EOA in Ghana

Research, Training and

Extension

Research & Training

• Research in Ghana is undertaken in the • Universities (University of Ghana, University of Development Studies, Kwame

Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Biotechnology and Nuclear Agricultural Research Institute of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission …. • The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research – Crops Research Institute,

Animal Research Institute, Food Research Institute, Soils Research Institute, Water Research Institute and others• All these institutions contribute to knowledge development and dissemination

in general and some work is also being done in developing and disseminating knowledge in ecological organic agriculture• They also train middle and top level researchers, management for the industry

Research & Training

• Some of the research work going on:• The use of insect larvae to compost market waste – BINARI, GAEC• Use of compost and charred rice husks in the production of various

vegetables (tomatoes, cocoyam leaves (kontomire), etc. – FOHCREC, U of G,• Evaluation of different organic soil amendments and their influence

on different commodities• Livestock management under organic production systems• ProEcoOrganic agriculture Farming systems research

Training & Extension

• Agricultural Colleges - Apart from the universities, middle level and lower level training is offered at the diploma and certificate levels by agricultural colleges and private institutions• In-service training is also offered to build capacity of MoFA and

private extension service providers through seminars, workshops etc. • Extension is provided mainly by the government’s Ministry of Food

and Agriculture. With extension officers stationed as close to the farmer as possible within the communities. Some large-scale farms and processing factories and NGOs also provide some private extension for those they work directly with.

Market and Value Chain Developmen

t

Market & Value Chain Development

• Ghana’s agricultural produce targets both the domestic and export markets.

• The government has adopted a value chain approach to commodity development and there are many VC Committees promoting and overseeing the development

Market & Value Chain Development

• With the exception of cocoa and a few others whose marketing is directly controlled by the government, all these markets are private sector led/organized and regulated by the Ministry of Trade and Industries. • Recent developments on the international markets e.g. certification

requirements for the export sector and food safety concerns have impacted on especially export volumes and returns

Market & Value Chain Development

• Some interventions needed are • Market research and development• New product development, promotion and marketing• Trade fairs/shows/negotiations

Networking and

Partnership

Networking and Partnership

• There is ongoing collaboration between various entities in the organic sector. • A number of organic growers, exporters and grower associations that

have invested in and are promoting EOA development in the country• Research organizations collaborating with other stakeholders to

develop new and innovative technologies for EOA development• Organic Desk of MoFA supporting/ linking industry players to each

other• Bio-Ghana platform that supports exporters’ participation in BioFach

Networking and Partnership

• GIZ-MOAP support to organic citrus growers and processors in the central region of Ghana• ProEcoOrganic (2013-16) project studying the productivity and

profitability of different farming systems in SSA. • ProEcoOrganic Africa Project spearheading the mainstreaming of EOA

policy into government policy• ProEcoOrganic Africa project being used to revitalize the Ghana

Ecological Organic Agriculture Platform.

Some Areas needing further intervention to promote EOAI:• Knowledge development and sharing, • Human Resource Capacity Building • In-service training for staff already engaged in agricultural activities• EOA inclusion in curricular development • Stakeholder capacity building• Innovation to make some practices like composting and concoction

preparations for pest and disease control less laborious• Market research, development and • Entrepreneurial development

Some Constraints

• Within Government – The notion that EOA does not deliver on food security is still high, as is in most research institutions.

• Research – combining Organic and conventional into sustainable better than organic• Many equally important demands on scarce resources means less resources committed to

EOAI• Undeveloped domestic markets for organic agriculture• Unclear export markets – some organic produce exporters are looking to widen their

market access by selling on the domestic market.• High certification costs• Low capacity of producers • Financing/marketing• Mainstreaming the compilation of data and establishment of EOA Data Base in Ghana.

Strategies/opportunities to strengthen the sector• Strengthen private sector capacity to advocate for EOA• Support the growth and thriving of EOA businesses and make them

attractive for investment

Conclusions

• Ecological organic agriculture holds much promise in Ghana in the light of climate change and other environmental challenges. • EOA can also contribute much to improve food security, promote

income generation and improved livelihoods. • There is an already existing framework that EOA can be developed

within • We need to protect, nurture and grow this sector for it to achieve the

anticipated benefits

Thank you