Total expenditure allocation for the agriculture sector in the past four years, from 2017 to 2020, has stayed below one percent of the government’s total spending in the economy.
The total spending for the agriculture sector in 2017, which was GH¢384.6million, constituted just 0.71 percent of the entire government expenditure. In 2018 total spending on the sector rose to GH¢502.7million, which comprised 0.79 percent. There was a significant increase in the sector’s investment in 2019 to GH¢635.5million making about 0.86 percent. With GH¢576.9million being expenditure for 2020 constituting 0.68 percent.
These figures depicted the total for compensations, goods and services, and total Capex for the sector during the four-year period.
Indeed, the International Budget Partnership (IBP) – an organization that collaborates with civil society organisations around the world to analyse and influence public budgets in order to reduce poverty – has said Ghana’s performance on African Agricultural Transformation Scorecard (AATS), the Malabo Declaration, currently ranks at 6.67 out of 10 percent.
IBP disclosed that Mali’s (6.82), Morocco’s (6.96), and Rwanda’s (7.24) agriculture sector performance is stronger than that of Ghana.
Although allocation to the sector was increasing from 2017 to 2019, there was a dip in 2020. This phenomenon can be attributed to the government’s refocused attention on health sector spending due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
There was a sudden increase in the sector’s goods and services in 2019 to GH¢471.8million from GH¢201.7million in 2017, with a dip in Capex to GH¢91.4million in 2019.
However, this increment has not only been below the committed 10 percent of the total expenditure of government necessary for the development of the sector, but it also declined from about 0.37 percent in 2017 to 0.31 percent in 2020 – with a nearly-50 percentage points decline in 2020.
The year-on-year adverse variations in the requests made by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) to support the expansion of the fertiliser subsidy programme, which have been met by fiscal policy caps by the Ministry of Finance, is also worrying IBP said.
This negative variance is nearly GH¢400million in some fiscal periods (2018 and 2019 to be precise), which undermines the strategic intent of MoFA in supporting the country’s food security agenda.
Over the focal period (2015 – 2019), the sector’s recorded under-expenditure is as high as 96 percent in some years, and over-expenditure reached as high as 256 percent in 2018. This not only undermines needed finance for the fertiliser subsidy programme, but ultimately undermines the credibility of policy and the budget in driving a coherent set of activities for all stakeholders in the agriculture sector.
In the case of actual spending, the ratio is at 36.17 percent; and adjusting for current spending, this increases to 50.89 percent. Currently, the government is keeping its act in line, but the ratios need to go up.
Meanwhile, the government’s projected investment plans for the sector have a positive outlook, as 1.5 million farmers are targeted to benefit from the ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ initiative in this year, 2021. The target is a significant increase from the total 1.2 million farmers who benefitted from the policy in 2020.
Mr Georgios Badaro, Managing Director (MD), Nestlé Ghana Limited has said the company’s ambition of making cocoa more profitable for farmers, eliminating child labour, ensuring quality, and improving the transparency of its supply chain is on course.
That ambition under Nestlé Cocoa Plan (NCP), he explained is to meet the global targets including; climate action, decent work and economic growth, women empowerment, ensuring quality education, and building partnership under the Sustainable Development Goals.
Mr Badaro, who spoke to journalists after paying a working visit to some farms at Ayisikrom, in the Suhum District of the Eastern Region, commended the farmers and said it is through their hard work and strong partnership with stakeholders that the NCP programme continues to chalk success.
The visit offered Mr Badaro the opportunity to discuss issues including traceability and alternative livelihood projects with farmers and purchasing clerk.
The NCP, introduced in Ghana in 2015, was being implemented in Ashanti, Ahafo, Central and Eastern Regions by ECOM Ghana and Beyond Beans, to promote good agricultural practices, support elimination of Child labour, using the child labour monitoring and remediation system, prevention of deforestation by cocoa farmers, tree tenure, payment of fair prices through premium and additional livelihood initiatives for farmers.
Mr. Badaro said the programme continued to improve the livelihoods of farmers and their families, enable Nestlé to achieve its aim of sourcing quality beans for production and contributing to nature preservation.
He stated that the programme is important for the company, consumers, farmers, and community and that it is inspiring to see the work done by the farmers on daily basis.
“It is a win-win situation we delight consumers because we know we offer excellent quality, we know that when the livelihood of the farmers and their communities are sustainable then they would continue and even expand over time to ensure quality supply,”
“I always knew it was hard work, but after this visit, I know now that it is not just about dedicating time but knowing what to do, how to cut, and where to cut, I am really inspired by what we are doing to help,” he said.
Mr Daniel Nyarko, Nestlé Cocoa Plan Manager for Ghana said NCP has been a response to the sustainability of cocoa and has operated under three pillars namely better farming, better lives, and better cocoa.
He noted that through NCP support cocoa yield per hector is increasing due to the improved farming practices adopted by farmers.
“With the support of our partners the NCP has six central nurseries and 30 community nurseries that raise multipurpose trees and cocoa seedlings, over two million cocoa plantlets and over 238,000 multi-purpose trees including; shade trees have been distributed to rejuvenate the farms and protect the plantlets,” he said.
Mr Nyarko said the programme is successful in organizing and sustaining Village Savings and Loans Associations to improve the saving culture and financial inclusion of farmers.
Ms. Deborah Kwablah, the Corporate Communication and Public Affairs Manager, Nestlé Ghana said the programme was addressing the temptation of the farmers having to give out their cocoa farms for other undesirable activities.
She commended the farmers under the NCP for the diligence and the hard work they put into producing certified cocoa beans.
Ms. Ana Herrera, the Head of Investor Management, ECOM Ghana, and a member of the West Africa Sustainability Team said they would continue to offer best practices to farmers to boost yield and ensure quality.
Mr. Joseph Danso, a cocoa and cabbage farmer in the Suhum District commended the companies for their support, explaining that he has purchased a tricycle from the proceeds from the cabbage production since he was introduced to the cultivation of alternative crops and encourage other farmers to consider alternative crops to boost their income when cocoa is not in season.
The site of a rice farm plagued by drought in the Volta Region.
The Ghana Rice Inter-Professional Body (GRIB) has revealed that rice production in the Volta Region of Ghana faces bleak consequences this year due to ongoing drought conditions which are disrupting production in some parts of the Region.
According to the body, farmers in the Akatsi North and South districts in the Volta Region have been gravely affected by poor rainfall patterns and are likely to lose their entire output for the 2021/2022 season.
“In Ketu South alone, over 700 hectares of rice have been lost to the drought. “The problem covers several areas including Kpoglu, Avalavi, Klenomadi and Avie in Ketu North, Akatsi in Akatsi South, Tongu Districts, Afadzato South District and Hohoe Municipal areas,” the President said.
This comes as a blow to the sector, which is an attempt to wean the country off rice importation by achieving self-sufficiency in production by 2025.
As if that is not enough, the affected farmers will have to wait till next year before they can earn some income.
Speaking to the reporter, President of GRIB Nana Agyei Ayeh II said some members of the farmers reached out to him to ascertain the situation and find a solution to the looming danger.
The President, together with some of the officials of the John A. Kufuor Foundation paid a working visit to the farms, and on their observation, several hectares of rice under cultivation are lost due to climate change and low levels of rainfall in these communities.
The woes of the farmers are further exacerbated by the huge investments they have already made in land preparation, seeds, and fertilizer.
However, the provisional production figures by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) indicate that about 973, 000 metric tonnes of rice were produced in Ghana in 2020. But, this figure could be hard to match in 2021 if the current situation persists.
Nana Agyei Ayeh II revealed that the existing dam structure which was built to harvest water to irrigate the farmlands is in a dire state of disrepair, leaving farmers at the mercy of the harsh weather conditions.
“We cannot continue with rain-fed agriculture. As you can see, this year, farmers have lost their investments simply because the rains failed them.
We would like to appeal to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to provide dugouts for these areas. These will aid in water conservations for the purposes of irrigation in such times like what we facing now” he added.
The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) is planning to electronically pay all its farmers to stimulate the digital economy and also ensure the security of funds, a Deputy Chief Executive Officer at COCOBOD, Dr. Emmanuel Opoku has said.
The move which is expected to be piloted at the coming cocoa season and fully rolled out subsequently will mean that no farmer would receive cash for any of the beans sold to COCOBOD.
According to Dr. Opoku, COCOBOD has received several reports about attacks on farmers leading to some losing huge capital and being thrown out of business as a result.
He told a gathering at a Cocoa Value Chain Investment Meeting that, the benefit of the electronic transaction is enormous and COCOBOD would rely on a private partnership to execute.
“Let us assume we are doing 1 million tonnes of cocoa; the price of 1 million tonnes is about GH¢10.5 billion; with 80 percent of this, we would have to issue cash to pay the farmers. We hear of so many criminal activities, armed robbery, and others in the community.
Local buyers are suffering and, in some cases, lives are lost as a result, we are developing a system to change the mode of payment. We are going to electronically pay the farmers; we are moving into a system where the entire GH¢10.5 billion is going to be electronically transacted to the farmers. This would bring some new energy into mobile and other electronic transactions nationwide,” Dr. Opoku said.
Country Director of World Cocoa Foundation, Betty Annan, and the Anglophone Africa Lead, Oswell Kahonde have made a strong case that, the earlier the nation goes digital with the payment of farmers the better for the sectors resilience.
According to them, the sector is critical for the nation’s economy as it employs 2 million people and contributes to 19 percent of all exports. For them, digital payments can help make the sector more efficient, transparent, and secure for companies and people alike.
They argue that with digital payments, instead of giving cash to purchasing clerks, Local Buying Companies (LBCs) can transfer money directly to farmers’ wallets the moment a purchasing clerk digitally records the receipt of their cocoa. This can reduce the LBC’s interest costs by 10 percent or more.
They believe this also offers the opportunity to track their money all the way to the farmer and cuts down the opportunities for theft or the misuse of funds. Also, the move towards digital payments can make it easier for local banks and microfinance institutions to lend to farmers by creating digital, analyzable records, they say.
Already, COCOBOD has encouraged LBCs to start paying their farmers digitally. Several LBCs have begun doing so, and as a result, have seen interest savings and fewer robberies.
The responsible digitization of payments across the agricultural sector is one of the key areas the government wants to focus on in its Cash-Lite Roadmap. This policy initiative calls on key public and private sector players to work together to accelerate the shift from cash to digital payments, including across the cocoa sector.
The Market-Oriented Agriculture Programme in North-Western Ghana (MOAP-NW), has trained a total of 85 seed producers and seed inspectors on quality seed production and regulations in Wa.
The week-long training, in partnership with the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate (PPRSD) of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), is to enable the production of the right quality improved certified seed to be used by farmers.
Dr Zakaria Issahaku, the Technical Advisor, delivering a speech on behalf of Mr Bashiru Fuseini, the Deputy Head of MOAP-NW said the training is focused on quality seed production, procedures and quality assurance and regulations because of the important role seed played in the development of agriculture in the country.
This, he said, was a key factor in MOAP North-West’s drive to improve quality production in the agricultural sector.
“Together with our partners in the seed sector, there has been a tremendous increase in the production and availability of foundation seeds and certified seeds”, Dr Zakaria said.
“Since 2017, foundation seed production has increased by almost 672 per cent while certified seed for farmer’s production has increased by almost 456 per cent”, he added.
Dr Zakaria further added that if the seed is improved in quality and quantity, it would reduce importation, thereby, boosting the local economy.
“There is the opportunity for job creation, especially for women and youth, in the seed sector”, he pointed out.
Mr Emmanuel Sasu Yeboah, the Upper West Regional Director of the Food and Agriculture, noted that the training is very essential, as it had supported the government’s agenda of Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) and had a prime focus in the seed sector.
“Locally sourced quality seed are in high demand following the subsidies provided through the PFJ. Farmers in the Upper West Region are adopting the improved seeds, which create a big demand from our seed producers”, he said.
Mr Christopher Y. Akai, the Northern Regional Officer, PPRSD noted that an efficient seed certification regime thrived on the education of stakeholders, the existence of sovereign laws and regulations, stringent enforcement, and adherence to the enacted laws and regulations by stakeholders.
He said for decades now, there had been an increase in volumes in the production and certification of maize, rice and soybean, which is an indication that the seed business is growing.
Mr Akai pointed out that for a viable seed industry, seed quality is critical and equally required a strong certification scheme, noting that the seed law and regulations provided legally binding guiding principles and procedures for providing technical advisory services to stakeholders.
Alhaji Abdulai Seidu Antiku, the Vice President of the National Seed Traders Association of Ghana (NASTAG), expressed appreciation on behalf of the seed producers for the training by MOAP-NW.
Mr Antiku, a seed producer himself, assured farmers in Ghana’s North-West of quality certified seeds from the stock of seed producers in the region.
Munashetu Abudu, a Participant and a Seed Producer from Daffiama-Bussie-Issa District expressed joy for the knowledge acquired and indicated that they would apply the knowledge and skills gained to increase the quality of seed production to satisfy farmers’ needs.
MOAP NW is a GIZ-implemented project funded by the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
The project represents one of the main pillars of the EU Ghana Agriculture Programme (EUGAP) and supports the growth of agribusinesses with capacity building and technical assistance for the value chain actors working with public and private service providers for robust and successful agribusinesses.
The biggest cocoa harvest in a decade is spurring record domestic borrowing by the industry regulator of the world’s no. 2 cocoa producer.
Ghana Cocoa Board has sold 11.7 billion cedis ($2 billion) of six-month bills between January and May, the most in the five-month period since at least 2011, when Bloomberg started keeping records.
The regulator, which is the only buyer of the chocolate ingredient in Ghana, typically borrows from overseas banks but the 2020-21 production has exceeded the target, stretching the $1.3 billion syndicated loan that was raised at the beginning of the season in October. It increased bill sales to help refinance maturing obligations, said Ray Ankrah, the head of finance and administration at the agency.
Farmers harvested 965,493 metric tons by June 3, compared with a target of 900,000 tons for the whole crop year that ends in September. This places Ghana easily within the reach of the 1 million-ton mark, which was last attained in 2010-11.
Yields on the bills are falling, as traders speculate that the regulator will make more income from the bumper crop. The 1.3 billion cedis, 182-day securities issued at 17.65% on May 18, are currently trading at 15.65%.
Even though cocoa futures have dropped over this year, average prices are still 5% higher at $2,475 a ton from a year earlier.
The regulator is also planning to raise $1.5 billion through syndicated loans for the season that begins in October, Ankrah said.
The company, which he co-founded with Arif Abdullah, sells honey and beeswax as well as cashew nuts and animal feed made from cashew leaves and honey.
Until 2014, Abdulai ran a microfinance organisation that serviced small and medium-scale business owners and farmers in northern Ghana. He felt banks were not tailoring products for farmers because they viewed the sector as risky. But a year into operation, the microfinance firm collapsed due to bad debts. Farmers did not have enough harvest to pay off their loans.
Abdulai discovered rampant overgrazing, charcoal burning and bushmeat hunting were contributing to the low agricultural production. His solution was integrated beekeeping. He started the business in 2014 to not only plug a big gap in the Ghana honey market but also help save trees and encourage afforestation. Beekeeping has been shown to preserve nature, biodiversity and agriculture.
Entering the honey business The businessman did not have the money to start a new venture. He approached a carpenter who made 10 beehives based on a profit-sharing agreement that he would give him 20% of whatever the business had made at the end of the year. As for the land to put the beehives, the entrepreneur entered partnerships with local chiefs who would receive 3% of revenue.
At the end of the first year, Abdulai sold his honey to supermarkets and other retailers and after paying $500 to the carpenter, he had $2,000. He was also able to pay the chiefs.
“There’s a vast market opportunity for honey, locally and internationally. With the high cases of diabetes, people are moving away from raw sugar to honey. The global market stands at $8.7 billion and is growing at 7% per annum,” says the entrepreneur.
Tilaa no longer has to depend on the goodwill of village chiefs to keep its hives running as the firm has acquired 300 hectares of land in the Northern Region of Ghana, where it grows cashew nuts alongside beekeeping. Cashew flowers bloom during the dry season, guaranteeing nectar for the bees all year.
Tilaa also manufactures animal feed made from pruned cashew leaves, which are crushed and mixed with honey to create a nutritious meal for cattle. Bee products are rich in vitamins, minerals and healthy fats and can be used to improve nutrition in animals.
The company works with a network of farmers that it trains on integrated beekeeping; it also supplies them with beehives and hybrid cashew seedlings. Later, it buys their honey. By keeping bees, local communities learn to conserve the environment. Cashew trees help replenish depleted land, are a source of food for the local communities and can be intercropped with other plants ensuring food security.
Finding funding to scale up One of the challenges Tilaa initially faced was employing the right staff. Abdulai says he has found it better to recruit people with low or no qualifications and train them. This has helped him navigate the disconnect between academia and the field.
To scale up, the entrepreneur has been a beneficiary of various accelerator programmes, which have equipped him with the skills to manage a start-up as well as provided key funding for growth. In 2018, Abdulai was part of the Ghana Innovation Hub, which helped him acquire seed funding of $50,000 from a US investor. A pitch at the Ghana Climate Innovation Centre in 2019 saw him receive $27,100 as well as help in verifying his products with the Ghana Standards Authority. He’s also been part of an accelerator in Nairobi, where he obtained $5,000.
The businessman regrets not doing these accelerator programmes at the beginning of his entrepreneurial journey. He maintains they would have made it easier to learn about the industry and improve his managerial skills.
Differentiating from the competition While there are several local and international honey brands in Ghana, the beekeeping sector is still in its infancy. Tilaa prides itself on providing a purely organic product that supports conservation. Some farmers and marketers add sugar to their honey or sweeten water fed to bees, resulting in an inferior product. “Most honey has a sugar content of 55% while Tilaa honey has 45%. Imported brands from China can have up to 65% sugar content,” says Abdulai.
Pollution is also a significant concern owing to heavy agrochemical use as these chemicals find their way into the honey. Farm chemicals have also been known to affect the bee population. Tilaa overcomes this by sourcing honey from remote parts of Ghana where agrochemical use is limited.
By focusing on beekeeping as a strategic business, Tilaa has established a foothold as a brand in the Ghana market where most honey producers are individual farmers who are not well organised from farm to market or have not been trained in handling bees. Other competitors are non-governmental organisations whose aim is not profit but rather limiting tree felling.
To stay profitable, Tilaa is considering the construction of a bee house with a controlled environment, allowing honey harvesting throughout the rainy season. Traditionally, honey harvesting is seasonal. “It’s difficult to harvest honey when it rains. The honey has high water content and ferments easily, resulting in a poor quality product,” Abdulai explains.
The company also plans to obtain its organic honey export certification to venture into the global market.
The Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana has called on the Registrar Generals Department to waive filing fees for Agribusinesses that are struggling in the system, most importantly those whose businesses have dwindled as the results of the Covid-19.
Recently, the Registrar General gave a reminder that the institution would delete companies that fail to file returns on June 30th. Of this development that the CEO of the Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana, Anthony Morrison has urged the high office to be considerate towards the agribusinesses.
The Registrar-General, Jemima Oware, speaking on the second virtual forum of the #CitiBusinessFestival on Citi TV last Tuesday said companies that fail to file their returns by the end of June 2021, risk having their names struck out of the list of businesses in Ghana.
She said about 200,000 companies have since 2011 failed to file their annual returns and financial statements despite several notices and reminders. The Registrar said the deletion process will start in July 2021.
“Since 2011 when we introduced the new e-registrar software, I have over 200,000 businesses that have not filed their annual returns basically because some of them think they’ve not done business, COVID-19 has come among others. We gave extensions for people to file annual returns, and we extended it to almost one year, and we allowed businesses to hold Annual General Meetings virtually. We gave all these dispensations, but now the time is up. By the end of June 30, we are going to start another round of penalties,” she said.
Speaking on Business Focus on TV3, Anthony Morrison, the CEO of the Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana urged the Registrar General to be considerate of the agribusinesses that have flouted to file their returns.
He bemoaned that the economic situation coupling with the pandemic has made it difficult for agribusinesses to thrive. He called on the Registrar General to waive the filing fees for the struggling agribusinesses so they could be able to sustain their operation in this hard time.
The economic relationship between Ghana and Italy has soared to new heights in recent years. From the major role that Italian energy giant Eni is playing in the development of Ghana’s hydrocarbon resources to the efforts of the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) to increase economic exchanges between the two countries, it is clear that Italy-Ghana economic cooperation is at its strongest in history.
Italy’s approach to partnership with Ghana is unique, with an emphasis on technology and skills development. Technology is important because it is what Italy exports most, to Ghana and the rest of the world. Indeed, Italian technology is much sought after, not only for its level of quality, reliability, and flexibility but also because Italian suppliers’ approach is to make sure that end-users are fully prepared to make the most out of the technology they buy and are happy with it.
Training, the second aspect of the approach, is in fact a pillar of the Italian way to build relationships; it is based on Italian expertise and know-how, deeply rooted in decades of experience at the highest levels as a manufacturing country and as a leading exporter that is used to being confronted with very different conditions worldwide.
A priority area for Italy’s bilateral cooperation is the agribusiness sector. This is no surprise, as Italy is well known internationally for being a top performer in industrial technology, especially in the agro-food industry. In addition to introducing its world-leading technologies to the local agribusiness sector, Italy is running several training activities in Ghana that aim at building skills and growing local technical capacity.
For example, the Italian Trade Agency has carried out the LabInnova project, a technical and managerial training program to empower Ghanaian agro-businesses to increase their export activity, particularly in the EU and Italian markets. ITA is currently also arranging the participation of a Ghanaian delegation in Macfrut, which is a major agribusiness trade and industry event in Italy.
Other training activities are run by other Italian organizations. Each has its own special distinctive features, but all share the same drive to build a culture of quality and distinction.
Among the training and skills development programs worth highlighting is Eni’s Okuafo Pa project. Eni is a major energy company that seeks to contribute to the socio-economic development of the countries where it operates, following its dual-flag model, which means it can grow only if the country where it operates can benefit from its activity and growth. “In line with the UN 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals, we want to contribute to the economic development of Ghana, starting with agri-business that is able to have a short-term and broad-scale impact,” says Mauro Martufi, CEO of Okuafo Pa. “Accordingly, with the Government of Ghana, we have started the Okuafo Pa project in Kyeramasu, Dormaa East, with the aim of improving know-how, enhancing productivity, contributing to emissions reduction, and facilitating access to credit to increase mechanization and digitalization in agri-business.”
The Okuafo Pa training center, established in 2019, is fully powered by renewable energy and trains 800 people per year. With the support of KNUST (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology), the center trains people in practical and managerial agri-business practices, including smart climate agriculture. The target beneficiaries are people between 18 and 40 years old who want to improve their economic conditions, attain better livelihoods, and contribute to the socio-economic development of the country through agri-business. The beneficiaries, 50% of whom are women, are selected by an independent committee on the principles of fairness, equality, and repeatability.
The first 800 trainees graduated in November 2020. About 50 graduates have found new jobs, and the remaining 750 are incorporating more than 60 new cooperatives along the value chains of tomatoes, cocoa, cashew, maize, and poultry. Ten percent of the new cooperatives are already in the harvesting phase of their production.
Post-training assistance is a critical component of the project to ensure the training given to beneficiaries bears fruits. According to Mr. Martufi, Okuafo Pa offers its trainees a “job placement platform” and an “incubator” to support new business initiatives. The incubator will soon feature a dedicated micro-credit facility developed by the Italian Bank of Development (Cassa Depositi e Presiti) and local banks.
The objectives of the project, Mr. Martufi says, are to provide the labour market with a skilled workforce and also develop local, sustainable value chains for strategic products that support national food security (e.g. poultry, tomatoes, and maize) and the country’s industrial agenda (e.g. cocoa and cashew). “If conditions are satisfied, the project could be replicated in other areas of Ghana to reach a wider number of beneficiaries. We estimate that 5,000 people per year can benefit from the direct and indirect effects of the project,” he adds.
Another Italian training initiative is the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Centres of Excellence being constructed by De Lorenzo, an Italian company, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. De Lorenzo is a specialized manufacturer and supplier of technical and vocational training solutions, and its projects for Ghana are turnkey solutions, made up of the construction and equipment, as well as the connected services, such as installation, commissioning, and training of trainers.
De Lorenzo believes that the quality of any TVET program and its products is dependent on the quality and quantity of personnel available to the program. Since competitive TVET systems need vocational teachers, trainers, instructors, and specialists of high calibre, one full month’s training session is organized both locally and in Italy to help the trainers acquire confidence and the necessary technical training skills. The focus of this training is on the detailed use of the didactic/training equipment provided, the use of the various training manuals, as well as maintenance of the equipment.
The first TVET Centre of Excellence is located in Anyinam, in the Eastern Region, and will, among other activities, train students in food processing, focusing on transformation and value addition to various fruits such as mangoes and oranges to convert them into different finished products.
The Centre will have a food processing laboratory with the capacity to process 100 kg/h of fresh fruit products. This laboratory can process raw materials for the preparation of concentrated products such as juice and jam. Through this line, it is feasible to practically develop a small but complete fruit production cycle until the final packing solution. The main focus areas are fruit handling line; fruit preparation line; packing line and pasteurization batch; drying production.
The laboratory allows 30 students per class, who study in different working areas. It is structured to provide the teacher different learning solutions so that students can be divided into different groups of four or five, where each group will be allocated to a specific working area. A similar food processing line will be set up in Akumadan.
Through the TVET Centres of Excellence, De Lorenzo aims to support the government of Ghana’s efforts to develop technical and vocational skills relevant for the 21st century, creating prosperity and equal opportunity for both male and female learners.
UPSA–E4Impact MBA in Entrepreneurship. In yet another example of the importance of training in Italy’s approach to cooperation, UPSA (University of Professional Studies Accra), the Catholic University of Milan, and E4Impact have joined forces to offer in Ghana the Global MBA in Impact Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
UPSA is an acclaimed public university in Ghana and one of the region’s leaders in combining academic studies with professional certification. Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore of Milan, on the other hand, is the largest private university in the European Union, with over 40,000 students, 1,650 faculty members, 5 campuses, 78-degree programs, and 79 research centers. E4Impact is the spin-off of the Catholic University of Milan aimed at growing entrepreneurs in Africa. On behalf of Università Cattolica, E4Impact manages 17 MBA programs in entrepreneurship in Africa, with over 2,000 entrepreneurs accelerated through such programs since 2010.
To offer the MBA in Impact Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Ghana, the two organizations have developed together a training and acceleration program uniquely designed to support Ghanaian entrepreneurs to start and grow their business in the country and beyond. The partners have selected faculty, business experts, and mentors from Ghana, Italy, and the United States, and the programme is fully recognized by the National Accreditation Board.
The MBA is uniquely designed to support active and aspiring entrepreneurs in boosting their businesses. Its distinctive features include the following: • It combines excellent training with business acceleration services; • All training is designed to transfer tools necessary for entrepreneurs to grow their business; • Business acceleration services include: access to investors, coaching, networking, trips to Italy; • The MBA also gives entrepreneurs access to a network of professionals who can further support participants; • The MBA offers all participants and alumni access to a B2B platform to do business across Africa; • The best entrepreneurs doing the MBA have the chance to interact with Italian businesses to go international; • The best 3 entrepreneurs across Africa win a monetary prize; • The MBA adopts a flexible program that combines face training, online work, and networking; and • The MBA offers two degrees, one from the UPSA and the other from the Università Cattolica.
Anybody who holds a first degree in any discipline and who has a business or a project to start a business can apply for the MBA.
As of today, the MBA has graduated 2,000 entrepreneurs across Africa. Among these graduates, 87% increase their sales; 85% start yet another business; 81% increase their turnover, and 31% access funds within 1 year after completing the MBA.
In Ghana, the MBA has already trained more than 150 entrepreneurs. These include Bola Ray, founder of Excellence in Broadcasting and Starr Radio; Stephen Eku, founder of Emigoh, the company manufacturing Yommi Yogurt; Amin Sulley Abubakar, founder of ZaaCoal, Africa’s largest organic charcoal plant; and Bobie Osei Ansah, founder of Farmer’s Hope, Ghana’s largest organic fertilizer producer.
Today, UPSA and E4Impact are offering 2 scholarships for the next edition of the MBA to Ghanaian companies participating in the Ghana-Italy Agribusiness Digital Lab project, https://ghana-italy.digital.ice.it. It is a unique opportunity to benefit from highly qualified training and mentorship for entrepreneurs with innovative ideas in the agro-food industry.
Land conservation in Lesotho. The African projects will seek to address land degradation in a bid to strengthen resilience and livelihoods.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) today welcomed approval from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) for five FAO-led projects in eight countries, totaling more than $46.6 million in funding. The decision was made during the 60th GEF Council Meeting and the 30th Least Developed Countries Fund Council Meeting.
The latest projects will address critical environmental challenges – such as land degradation, biodiversity loss, unsustainable fishing, and climate change – that threaten the food security and livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people in Asia and Africa.
They will be implemented in partnership with and co-financed by the governments of Cambodia, Central African Republic, Eritrea, Lesotho, Malaysia, Senegal, Thailand, and Viet Nam.
“These projects are especially welcome after the launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration,” said FAO Director-General QU Dongyu. “It is vital that we take action now to restore the natural systems on land and water that we rely on to achieve better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life.”
The projects approved by the GEF will assist countries and communities to adopt more sustainable and climate-resilient practices, foster regional cooperation, and enact stronger policies to conserve biodiversity and deter illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
They will directly benefit 441,500 people and restore over 27,000 hectares of degraded landscapes. The projects will also create 30,000 hectares of new protected areas on land and sea, and improve the management of over 765,000 hectares of landscapes and 4 million hectares of marine habitats.
Their action is designed to mitigate 6.8 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions and move 547,393 tonnes of over-exploited fish stocks to more sustainable levels.
Among the FAO-led projects is a regional project in the Gulf of Thailand that will promote sustainable fisheries management in Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Viet Nam.
By adopting an ecosystem approach to fisheries and strengthening fisheries governance, the project will help conserve marine biodiversity and reduce the excessive exploitation of overfished fish stocks, while supporting the sustainability of fisherfolk livelihoods.
The four projects approved in Africa will address the threats of climate change and land degradation to enhance the climate resilience of communities, safeguard natural resources, and strengthen agricultural value chains to improve rural livelihoods.
Since December 2018, FAO has mobilized more than $550 million in GEF grant funding for member countries, including the latest projects, making FAO one of the top four GEF agencies globally.
