Vice President champions agricultural transformation at Global Food Dialogue

 

Vice President Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has reaffirmed Ghana’s strong commitment to agricultural transformation, food security, and inclusive economic growth during her keynote address at the Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue, a premier global forum on food and agriculture.

Delivering the closing remarks, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang reflected on the enduring legacy of Dr. Norman Borlaug, whose conviction that “no child should go to bed hungry” continues to inspire global action.

She called for that moral compass to guide today’s agricultural and food security strategies.

Highlighting the pivotal role of agriculture in Ghana’s development, she noted that nearly two in every five Ghanaians depend on farming for their livelihoods.

However, she expressed concern that the country still spends over USD 2 billion annually on food imports, despite having the climate and capacity to produce much of what it consumes.

“This must change,” she declared.

Prof. Opoku-Agyemang outlined President John Dramani Mahama’s bold vision for agricultural transformation, anchored on the Feed Ghana Programme.

The initiative targets 22 commodity value chains—including grains, legumes, vegetables, tree crops, and livestock—and aims to address systemic bottlenecks in irrigation, storage, processing, digital integration, cooperative development, and market access.

She further explained that the Grow24 Programme, a key pillar of Ghana’s 24-Hour Economy agenda, seeks to modernise agriculture and value chains, promote agro-manufacturing, and support export-ready agribusinesses.

Complementing these is a five-year Agricultural Risk Management Strategy, focused on stabilizing poultry, tomato, and maize production in selected regions.

The Vice President also underscored the need for gender equity in agricultural growth. “Women make up more than half of Ghana’s agricultural workforce, yet they face limited access to land, finance, technology, and training,” she said.

To bridge this gap, the government is establishing a Women’s Development Bank to improve access to credit and economic empowerment. Ghana is also investing in youth-led agritech, mechanization services, and digital market platforms to encourage innovation among young people.

Prof. Opoku-Agyemang emphasised Ghana’s ongoing shift from exporting raw commodities to producing value-added agricultural products.

With the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) headquartered in Accra, she said Ghana is strategically positioned to build regional value chains, scale agro-exports, and empower women and youth across borders.

She extended an open invitation to investors, governments, universities, development banks, and foundations to collaborate with Ghana in driving sustainable agricultural transformation.

Following her address, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang participated in a fireside conversation with Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, outgoing President of the African Development Bank, where they discussed Ghana’s strategic approach to agricultural modernization, value addition, and inclusive growth.

The event concluded with a symbolic moment as the Vice President joined in presenting the 2025 World Food Prize to Dr. Marieangela Hungria, a distinguished Brazilian agronomist and microbiologist recognized for groundbreaking research on biological nitrogen fixation—a discovery with profound implications for sustainable agriculture worldwide.

Prof. Opoku-Agyemang’s participation at the global forum reaffirmed Ghana’s leadership in food systems innovation, and her message, rooted in partnership, inclusion, and transformation, resonated with the spirit of Dr. Borlaug’s legacy.