The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has taken significant steps to promote gender equality and empower women in agriculture through its free gender courses.
The FAO Policy on Gender Equality 2020–2030 underscores the critical role of gender equality in achieving FAO’s mission of a world free from hunger, malnutrition, and poverty.
This policy provides a comprehensive framework to address persisting inequalities between men and women in agriculture and rural development, aiming to build sustainable food systems and resilient societies.
Importance of Gender Equality in Agriculture
FAO recognizes that gender disparities hinder progress in agriculture and rural development. By eliminating these inequalities, FAO aims to create inclusive food systems that benefit both men and women. The organization emphasizes the importance of a gender-responsive organizational environment and sets minimum standards for gender mainstreaming across all functions.
FAO’s Approach to Gender Equality
FAO adopts gender-transformative approaches to advance gender equality and empower women in rural communities. These approaches challenge discriminatory norms, attitudes, behaviors, and social structures to promote equal opportunities for men and women. FAO supports governments in creating an enabling environment for both genders by advocating for gender integration, enhancing capacities, and collecting sex-disaggregated data.
Closing the Gender Gap in Agriculture
Gender inequalities in food and agriculture have significant economic implications, costing the world approximately $1 trillion. FAO highlights the need to address disparities such as limited access to resources, higher unpaid care burdens for women, and wage gaps in the agricultural sector. By empowering women and closing these gaps, FAO believes that global productivity could increase significantly, contributing to poverty reduction and food security.
FAO’s commitment to promoting gender equality through free gender courses reflects its dedication to empowering women in agriculture and rural development. By addressing gender disparities and fostering inclusivity, FAO aims to create a more equitable and sustainable future for all individuals involved in food production and rural livelihoods.
AS farmers protest across Europe, blockading cities, smashing through police barricades, and dumping manure, European politicians are falling over themselves to promise increased trade barriers against African food and agriculture imports.
But how is it that locking out Zambian cott, South African oranges, and Kenyan horticulture has become such a burning issue for Africa’s biggest agricultural trading partner?
The answer lies in pest control.
For when the European Union launched its Green Deal climate action plan in 2019, with the noble aim of reducing the emissions driving climate change, it threw in an extra green target of phasing out the use of pesticides.
It seemed a sweet political move for the European Commission at the time, following countless distorted campaigns from environmentalists exploiting the membership and revenue power of claiming food and drink contamination and environmental catastrophe.
Facts weren’t a necessity in this: the point was scary headlines. Just one example, now impacting most of Africa, were claims that one of the world’s newest and cleanest insecticides was wiping out bees, essential to the pollination of human food. It made a powerful narrative, creating images of a future world devoid of pollinated fruits.
It just didn’t happen to be true. The pesticides don’t affect bees and the bee population is rising rapidly everywhere, including in nations still using the targeted pest controls. But the bee campaign, and many others claiming far-fetched health and environmental risks, had, by then, driven public opinion and pseudo science into a frenzy of opposition to pesticides
The timing couldn’t have been worse, as climate change began inexorably increasing the range and volume of plant pests and diseases.
Thus, as Europe rolled out ever more bans of pesticides deemed low risk elsewhere, its agricultural production began stagnating and declining. It gave farmers rounds of compensation, rising to now half their income. But, as the pest losses mounted, European producers began protesting against ‘unfair’ competition from imports still allowed to use pest protection, very often from Africa.
This saw Europe turn to the mission of enforcing its extra pesticide ‘precautions’ in Africa too. It began by moving most of the Maximum Residue Levels for these risk-approved pesticides to a technical zero. This triggered a World Trade Organisation dispute that is still running, driven by the US and India, but including multiple African nations, decrying the effective pesticide bans as trade barriers.
The EU then additionally introduced new lists of quarantine pests, most of which required the banned pesticides to control.
African agricultural exporters were caught in an effective pincer movement, locked out by pests they could no longer control.
In West Africa, the impact on the cocoa sector, which alone accounts for over a third of all African agricultural exports to the EU, has been so severe, cocoa prices have now soared. Coffee has also been hurt, while, in Southern Africa, the fruit and nut industries, which account for another 14 percent of Africa’s total agricultural exports to the EU, are hanging on a thread. Last year, Europe demanded South Africa chill all oranges for export at below 2 degrees Celsius for 20 days before shipping instead of using pest protection, triggering industry warnings of a 20 percent fall in exports and thousands of job losses.
But, in Kenya, efforts to maintain flower, fruit and vegetable exports to the EU have triggered even greater extremes, with the local banning of pesticides targeted by Europe drawing warnings from the CEO of the Kenya Fresh Produce Consortium of a $1bn food production loss per year. More recent estimates show the country will move into a food crisis from 2025 as a result.
For Africans cannot survive if maize is left for the Fall ArmyWorm that destroys up to 70 percent of crops, or cocoa is given up to mirids that also damage over 70 percent, wheat to complete destruction from leaf rust, and coffee to coffee berry borer.
African governments are juggling between limiting their export collapse – to maintain import funds without which all development slows – and ensuring food production and food security at home.
It is a dire trade-off – being driven by a policy so divisive in Europe that the European Parliament, last October, voted against a new bill to further halve its own pesticide use, while EU President Ursula von der Leyen has said pesticide withdrawals have now become “a symbol of polarisation” for the EU.
In Africa, they are creating poverty, hunger and reversed development, and now the solution to Europe’s newest political protests over them is to hit Africa harder still.
The Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Hon. Yaw Frimpong has indicated that phase II of the PFJ would provide crucial support to the women farmers with access to input that will require beneficiaries to register their lands with the District Directorate of Agriculture by the end of March 2024 to enhance agricultural productivity.
He revealed this at the 6th Annual Gathering of the Royals, organized by the Agrihouse Foundation under the theme “Seeds of Change: Cultivating Gender Equality in Agriculture and Honoring Women’s Advancement” at the GNAT Hall, Accra.
In a call to action, Hon. Yaw Frimpong urged Queen Mothers to play a pivotal role in facilitating access to land for the youth, particularly women, encouraging them to take advantage of the input credits to engage in commercial agriculture to address unemployment.
“I plead with the queen mothers to assist in providing lands to the youth and inspire them, especially women, to seize this opportunity to advance commercial agriculture to achieve self-sufficiency in food production and reduce importation by 10% to 20% by 2027”, the Deputy Minister emphasized.
“After reviewing the Planting for Food and Jobs initiative, we have identified several gaps, such as the need for financial assistance and recognizing the potential of women in agriculture. Therefore, we are giving access to input credits under Phase 2 of the Planting for Food and Jobs program”, He said.
“Beneficiaries will need to have land and register with the District Directorate of Agriculture to qualify from now to the end of March. The program will specifically target registered farms cultivating tomato, onion, pepper, rice, maize, soya, sorghum, plantain, cassava, yam, and poultry, which will be connected to aggregators who will provide agricultural inputs on credit through extension officers. At the end of sales, the cost of input will be deducted from the total revenue then pay you what is left”, the Honourable clarified.
He added that to alleviate the challenges of marketing and selling produce, off-takers will be appointed to purchase goods directly from farms and transport them to warehouses. This streamlined process aims to support farmers, relieve them of the struggle to sell their produce, and ensure the efficient distribution of agricultural products to consumers.
“An off-taker will purchase produce from the farms, relieving farmers of the burden of marketing and selling. Processors and breweries will be linked to warehouses to further enhance the agricultural value chain and vice versa”.
The Deputy Minister assured stakeholders of improved infrastructure, including road networks, to support agricultural activities effectively. “We will ensure all roads are motor-abled and properly maintained as per request by the queen mothers to support agriculture practices”, Hon. Yaw Frimpong said underscoring the government’s commitment to enhancing the agricultural sector’s productivity and sustainability.
The Queen Mothers in Ghana have called on the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to engage directly with farmers to understand the challenges the farmers encounter during production.
Some Ga Kenkey vendors in Accra are now considering charging customers for the previously complimentary pepper as economic challenges in Ghana worsen, contributing to a broader increase in the cost of living.
The latest economic data indicates a marginal rise in the year-on-year inflation rate for January 2024, with the current inflation rate reaching 23.5%. Ghana joins other Sub-Saharan African countries grappling with notably high inflation rates.
Essential ingredients for staple meals, such as Jollof, Banku, Fufu, and Kenkey, have witnessed inflation rates surpassing 40% in January.
Fresh tomatoes, carrying a significant 1.2 weight in determining national inflation, have surged by 52.3%, while other crucial elements like pepper, onions, and fish have inflation rates double the national average.
Despite being one of the more affordable food options in Accra, Ga Kenkey is expected to see a price increase. The local delicacy, traditionally served with pepper sauce, slices of onions, tomatoes, and fish, may no longer include these accompaniments free of charge.
Kenkey sellers are contemplating a review of their operational costs to cope with the continuous surge in market prices. Consequently, the previously complimentary pepper sauce with slices of onions and tomatoes might now come with an additional charge.
Many Kenkey vendors cite the high pricing of goods in the market as the driving force behind their decision. The shift raises questions about the perspectives and experiences of these market workers in the face of economic challenges.
“The prices of goods have gone up in the market. The price of the green pepper has increased astronomically. If we don’t increase the prices of kenkey, we will run at a loss.”
“There’s a high possibility we might start selling the red pepper and the shito. We can’t continue to give it for free. We will package them in small bottles and sell them. Very soon the pepper will be sold.”
Some patrons of Kenkey have shared varied views on this decision to price the pepper accompaniment, previously provided for free.
“I like kenkey so if the pepper is going to be sold, we will buy it. Prices of goods are very high now, it’s not their fault, so I understand them.”
“I think it’s outrageous,” another said.
Speaking to Citi News, General Secretary of the General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU), Edward Kariwe, explained the rationale behind the pricing of goods by farmers before reaching the market.
Edward Kariwe believes that this decision by Kenkey sellers to increase pricing is only a reflection of the government’s failure within the agriculture sector.
Also, the Ranking Member on the Agric and Cocoa Committee in parliament, Godfred Seidu Jasaw, believes that the government would have to provide proper incentive systems for farmers to improve the agricultural sector.
“It’s not the farmers creating the price hikes, at the farm gate, it’s low but then you will also have to sympathise with those who make it possible to pick up the produce from the farm gate to the market centres.
“It has to go through a mirage of challenges, bad roads, fuel cost and other labour cost along the value chain. About one-third would have rotten by the time it gets to the markets,” he said.
The Conservation Alliance International has partnered with Rainforest Alliance, an International Non-profit Organization to support farmer groups and their communities to address broader landscape issues by practicing Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) in their various farms.
Liaison Lead for the project, Raymond Owusu Achiaw, speaking at the initial meeting held at Twifo Afeaso in the Central Region for over 30 farmers of the Conservation Cocoa Association, explained that “Strengthening the Traceability, Accountability, and Resilience of Farmer Groups (STAR) project” is tackling two key areas in sustainable cocoa production in Ghana namely Geodata and Landscape approaches.
According to him, all targeted farmer group members will have farm geodata by mid-2024 and also 70% of targeted farmers are expected to adopt certification in their operations linked to Rainforest Alliance certification standards.
He stated that through tools like farm data collection and a dedicated geodatabase, the project will empower 30 target farmers in Ghana’s Kakum landscape to adopt Integrated Management Systems (IMS) which will help them achieve certification.
“Our project will also address broader landscape issues by promoting Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and also equip farmers with business skills through the SMART approach which will help them see “farming as a business” he said.
Field Co-implementation Lead, Ama Akyema Sasu mentioned that the initial phase of the project will identify knowledge gaps, while subsequent phases bridge them through farmer field school trainings.
She explained that they are working to increase net yields of target farmer group members and also increase net income of farmer group members in the selected communities.
“I am hopeful that this project will increase the percentage of farmer group members with traceable farms which will impact positively on cocoa production” she stated.
Field Implementation Lead for Conservation Cocoa Association, Ebenezer Darko was optimistic that formalizing relationships with international organizations like Rainforest Alliance would propel them implement Good Agricultural Practices in their communities.
“It is our hope that 80% of target farmer groups will adopt good agricultural practices and about 70% of target farmers adopt a Marketing and Rural Transformation (SMART) approach in their operations” he added.
Drinking water, a very important lubrication for the body system, has gone through many prices in the past few years, as Nigerians grapple to meet up with the increasing high cost of living.
Now, a bag of sachet water that was sold for N50 naira is now N500 in some areas.
Those who purchase water in less quantity now buy a sachet or two for N50.
Even the well-to-do Nigerians have gone through various means to cut costs in the area of water consumption.
Some have dumped bottled water, which now costs N300 per bottle in some cities; they now improvise by carrying sachet water in used bottles.
Some have resorted to boiling borehole water and sieving it into empty used bottles after it cools off.
This has reduced patronage and, subsequently, dropping the income of beverage hawkers.
Economy & Lifestyle discovered that to make ends meet, these hawkers have now returned to iced water (water poured in white nylons and refrigerated or added to block to get cold), as it was years back, which comes cheaper and affordable.
Such sellers are seen in school vicinities, market places and motor parks in smaller towns and cities in the country.
Mrs. Dorathy Ehis, a seller of sachet and bottled water in Benin said she had to improvise by selling ice water to increase sales.
“I never thought ice water would be sold in Nigeria again since the 90’s.
“But the continuous increase in the price of sachet and bottled water has left many drinking borehole water.
“My sachet and bottled water business is not moving at all.
“A bag of sachet water is sold for N500 here. It was sold for N300 a few months ago.
“In a day I sell 40 bags of pure water because those hawkers used to buy from me. But now, they only buy a few.
“So I added the selling of ice water which goes for three N20 because of the cost of nylon and boiling of borehole water before icing it.
With an average estimated cashew export earnings of US$350million per annum, Cashew Watch Ghana (CWG) – a civil society organisation – has said the country has yet to fully take advantage of the US$7billion global market.
Cashew Watch Ghana described the current earnings as below potential, emphasising that the country has potential to fetch more than US$660million if government and the private sector capitalise on the current global prospects of the economic tree to promote production, value addition and exports.
The country’s cashew export earnings in 2020, which was US$340million, according to CWG, should only be a starting point to make more progress toward harnessing the full potential of the sector.
With an estimated annual production of between 110,000 and 130,000 tonnes of raw cashew nuts, the CWG advocated that more efforts be put in place to enhance production, storage and value addition. If harnessed properly, it said the sector will be able to contribute significantly to not only job creation, but poverty reduction.
Globally, the market size of the nut crop is currently around US$7billion and projected to hit a value of US$10.5billion by 2031, according to CWG.
With the current annual production, the African Cashew Alliance has estimated that about 85 percent of the raw nuts are exported, with the crop, in the past five years, being one of the top non-traditional export commodities of the country.
Despite this, the sector is plagued with many challenges, including low production volumes, poor value chain coordination and inadequate support.
For instance, although there are 14 cashew processing factories nationwide, the majority of them have either shut down or are producing undercapacity due to lack of raw cashew nuts.
Processed cashews offer a variety of products, including snacks, food ingredients, cashew milk, cashew butter, cashew cheese, cream, yoghurt, medicine, powder, oil, skin pomade, biofuel among others.
Notwithstanding the benefits the country enjoys from the cashew value chain, especially export earnings from raw nuts, there are huge untapped opportunities which could be maximised.
The cashew processing sub-sector, which is deemed profitable and accounts for almost half of profits in the industry, comes with several challenges – including labour costs, quality control, energy costs, logistics, price fluctuations, among others.
The General Agriculture Workers Union (GAWU) is forecasting that prices of foodstuff would remain high until June when the harvesting of food would begin.
This is coming after food inflation fell consecutively for the last six months to 27.1% in January 2024.
Speaking to Joy Business, General Secretary, Edward Kareweh, warned that the prices of food would not get better any time soon.
“Well, the price of food will not get better anytime soon. Looking at the country as a whole, we are entering into or are already in the lean season of production and no part of the country is experiencing harvest of foodstuff, particularly the major samples”.
“If we look at maize, it’s not being harvested anywhere in the country. Similarly, rice is also not being harvested unless those in the irrigation areas”, he added.
He continued saying most parts of the country are not experiencing rainfall.
“Generally speaking, there are no rains throughout the country, and at this time also the Western parts of the country will begin preparation of their farms for the major season”.
“During this season, all the foodstuff we are eating is from last year. So don’t expect food prices to come down now”, he pointed out.
Furthermore, Mr. Kareweh said “we expect that by the middle to the end of March [2024], food prices will go up and stay high like that until we begin to harvest around June/July in the Southern parts of the country”.
Ten out of 15 Sub-Class register inflation higher than overall food inflation
Seven divisions recorded inflation rates higher than the national average.
They are Alcoholic Beverages, Tobacco and Narcotics (38.5%); Personal Care, Social Protection and Miscellaneous Goods and Services (32.0%); Restaurants and Accommodation Services (29.2%); Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance (27.7%) Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages (27.1%); Health (26.6%) and Recreation, Sports and Culture (24.9%).
Cocoa prices are currently doing well on the international market hence Ghana is going to soon experience a better picture of its local market, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Joseph Boahen Aidoo, has said.
He noted that the cocoa sector in Ghana performed poorly between the period 2017 and 2020 because the prices on the world market had collapsed by 30 percent.
Although production went up in 2020, the prices were not the best on the international market, a situation that affected the local market as well, he added.
The International Moneyray Fund (IMF) recently said that the state-owned entity mandated with facilitating cocoa production and exercising export monopoly—has long registered losses due to the absence of a systematic mechanism for setting producer purchase price (PPP), significant quasi-fiscal activities (roads construction and input subsidy programs), and large administrative costs.
The debt accumulated by COCOBOD over the past few years became too expensive to service and had to be restructured.
Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament on Tuesday February 20, Mr Joseph Boahen Aidoo said “Mr Chairman we are on the path of a turnaround. COCOCOB’s financial situation is dictated by the international market price, that is the word cocoa price. and we all know that from 2017 to the date in question prices of cocoa in the world market had collapsed by 30 percent.
“In 2020 that is also when we had our highest reduction, so when prices collapsed at the time when we had increased yield, definitely, your direct course and inventory go up whereas the revenue generated goes down. That is what explains the huge e deficit for that period. essentially, yes we had record production but prices at the international market did not favour us. ”
Assuming the prices on the world market keep falling, what are you going to do to break even as a company? he was asked by the chair of the PAC James Kluste Avedzi.
In answer, he said “For the past years what we have been doing is taking measures to cut down the cost of operations and other activities. But currently, as we speak the market is going bullish, cocoa prices have relished, there is an ever record so we strongly believe that in the coming years, we are going to see a better picture. It’s bullish, it is not something that is going to ease too soon because the fundamentals are going to keep the prices there for the next three years
