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Agrihouse Foundation secures a charter for Brazil’s leading International Cassava Fair.

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Podium Alimentos, the leading organization, that manages Brazil’s largest International Cassava Fair (FIMAN), has announced a five-year partnership with Ghana’s Agrihouse Foundation, as its official franchise holders, for the promotion, facilitation and marketing of the annual International Fair in Brazil.

In a statement issued, the Chief Executive Officer of Podium Alimentos and creator for the International cassava Fair (FIMAN), Mr. Mauricio Gehlen, expressed his excitement for the partnership with Agrihouse Foundation. He emphasized that, the partnership with Agrihouse Foundation as the official franchise holder for the International Cassava Fair (FIMAN) in Ghana, for the next five years will undoubtedly elevate and significantly enhance the program’s growth and increase participation in Ghana and Africa.

In his statement, Mr. Gehlen, added that Agrihouse Foundation has a commendable track record of consistently demonstrating unwavering dedication to sustainable agriculture and a proven history of promoting the agriculture industry in Ghana and beyond.

He further explained that, Agrihouse Foundation will work with his office, to strengthen and enhance the prominence and impact of the International Cassava Fair (FIMAN) initiative in Ghana, with a primary focus on contributing to improving the cassava value chain sector.  Adding that, Cassava contributes significantly to the nutrition and livelihood of up to 500 million people in the world, beside serving as a primary staple food for millions of people, cassava is also an important raw material used for pharmaceutical and industrial purposes.

Commodifying cassava presents Africa and the global community with an opportunity to reduce dependence on imports, enhance food security, and support economic growth.

Despite its immense potential, cassava has often been to a high level, been overlooked as a crop suitable for commercial production and commodification. However, as global food demand continues to rise, the potential for cassava to contribute to agricultural growth in Africa and around the world is becoming increasingly apparent.

Mr. Mauricio Gehlen, emphasized that, the partnership will also facilitate the dissemination of global cassava research findings, innovations, and best practices to the Ghanaian cassava industry, fostering growth and sustainability.

This collaboration he said, signifies a great milestone in our efforts to foster greater international cooperation and knowledge exchange in the cassava industry.

For her part, the Executive Director of Agrihouse Foundation, Miss Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa expressed her profound gratitude for this partnership. “We are very excited and grateful to Podium Alimentos   for giving us this amazing opportunity to do what we do best – Making Impact in the Agribusiness sector!

 As the official franchise holder in Ghana, we look forward to working diligently transparently with Podium Alimentos to ensure the continued success of the International Cassava Fair (FIMAN), and to advance sustainable agriculture while strengthening the cassava industry.  It is imperative that we transform cassava into a standardized commodity that can be traded and exported on a large scale to boost national revenues, much like how we prioritize commodities such as gold, crude oil, and cocoa,’ emphasized Miss Akosa.”

As the official franchise holder for the International Cassava Fair (FIMAN) in Ghana, Agrihouse Foundation is resolutely committed to cultivating a thriving cassava sector in Ghana and Africa. Simultaneously, we aim to work together , to foster greater international collaboration by connecting Ghanaian enterprises with potential investors and partners, who seek to penetrate the Ghanaian market, to explore partnerships and investment opportunities, with the cassava value chain sector, to collectively improve impact, economic growth, improve job creation and the introduction of new technologies to the cassava sector.

As part our  mandate of  ensuring  a stronger Ghanaian representation at the International Cassava Fair (FIMAN) scheduled to take place from Tuesday, November 21st, 2023, to Thursday, November 23rd, 2023, in Paranavaí, Brazil , Agrihouse foundation is mobilizing farmers, processors, input dealers, Farmer-Based Organizations (FBOs), Aggregators, Processors, and value chain actors, individuals and businesses across the agriculture value chain to serve as exhibitors , participate and engage in Business Matchmaking sessions,  at the International Cassava Fair.

By facilitating the transfer of knowledge and championing the global dissemination of cassava research, innovations, and best practices from international experts to the Ghanaian cassava community, Agrihouse Foundation will work together with Poduim Alimentos  to organize and facilitate strategic business-to-business meetings, networking, matchmaking, panel discussions, educational tours and farm visits for participants in Brazil.

This exchange of expertise, we are confident, will further empower our stakeholders to be exposed to more innovative approaches and state-of-the-art technologies, leading to increased productivity and efficiency.

Agrihouse Foundation is passionate towards the causes and tasks, we take up and we are positive to contribute in all means possible, to the growth of the Casssava value chain sector. Cassava is the next big thing. It is the next Cocoa , Alberta added.

This collaboration underscores Podium Alimentos   and Agrihouse Foundation’s steadfast commitment to advancing the cassava sector and promoting international cooperation within the Regional and Global agricultural landscape.

Over the next five years, the focus will be on propelling growth, sustainability, and innovation within the industry.

Agrihouse Foundation has a successful track record of spearheading similar International Trade and market linkage initiatives.  

Our partnership with the Brazilian Embassy over the past ten years in promoting the annual Agrishow event in Brazil.  Our partnership with the Israel Trade Office, in promoting educational Break-out Tours and Agritech in Israel, our partnership with the US- Ghana Chamber, Philadelphia, in promoting Trade and market linkages and our strong partnership with GhaNeb – Nebraska, in facilitating opportunities between Nebraska, among others, are testaments of our passion and  strength in fostering and facilitating,  successful Business, Trade and Investment opportunities between Countries. 

Agrihouse Foundation are also the initiators and implementers of highly successful interventional projects in Ghana including the Gathering of the Royals, the Agric Students Career Guidance and Mentorship Dialogue Bootcamp, the Livestock, Poultry and Fisheries Training and Tradeshow, the Women in Food and Agricultural Leadership Training Forum, the Gold in the Soil Awards, organized together with Global Affairs Canada.

Agrihouse Foundation are also the initiators and organizers of the Monthly Agriwoman Marketplace, the Monthly Beginner Agribusiness Masterclass and the internationally recognized 1household – 1 garden initiative and the annual Preharvest Agribusiness Exhibitions and Conference.

ABOUT FIMAN:

 The International Cassava Fair (FIMAN), organized by Podium Alimentos , every two year ,  is a globally recognized premier cassava tradeshow. It serves as a pivotal platform for knowledge exchange, innovation showcase, and networking among cassava stakeholders worldwide. The 2023 edition of FIMAN is scheduled to take place from Tuesday, November 21st, 2023, to Thursday, November 23rd, 2023, in Paranavaí, Brazil.

 The three-day event will focus on the exchange of experiences, staying at the forefront of cutting-edge technologies, and forging successful partnerships. It will feature a dedicated Ghanaian Pavilion where key players in the cassava value chain can showcase their products and services, engage in B2B matchmaking, and make business presentations.

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China produces world record peanut test crop amid national food security push

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  • Planting one seed per hole instead of two dramatically increased output in experimental field
  • China could triple volumes if the farming methods were applied nationwide, says agriculture agency official

In a coup for China’s push for food security, a research field in the eastern province of Shandong has hosted a world record-breaking peanut yield, state media reported on Saturday.

The yield of 12,980kg (28,600lb) per hectare is a breakthrough for researchers at the Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences (SAAS) who have been working to increase the yield of peanuts for more than two decades, according to a Shandong TV report.

The yield from the 4 hectare (10 acre) field was 3.4 times the national crop average of 3,780kg per hectare, Tang Song, director of economic crop technology at the National Agro-Tech Extension and Service Centre said, according to Shandong TV.

During a tour to northeast China’s Heilongjiang province early this month, Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasised the importance of developing science and technology within agriculture in the continued national bid for food security, according to state news agency Xinhua.

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FAO Director-General makes urgent global call for action on food security at sustainable development conference

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In a keynote speech delivered at the 11th annual International Development Conference of Sustainable Development (ICSD), the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, issued a powerful global call to action, urging immediate steps to address escalating food security concerns and pressing environmental issues.

Qu’s lecture focused on the critical issue of global food security. He began by acknowledging FAO’s historic role in addressing the link between poverty and malnutrition while emphasizing the Organization’s dedication to nutrition. Transitioning to the present, he sounded an alarm about the escalating and often overlapping challenges faced by the world.

The FAO Director-General highlighted the troubling trend of increasing global hunger over the past seven years, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing conflicts. Projections made in the latest FAO-led State of the Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report indicate that nearly 600 million people may continue to experience hunger in 2030. Child stunting also remains a pressing concern, and obesity rates continue to rise, surpassing hunger in some regions.

The environmental toll of agrifood systems

Qu also discussed the current detrimental environmental impacts of agrifood systems as they are contributing to food waste, air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss, and growing social inequalities. The economic and environmental costs associated with these issues are severe, and amount to trillions of dollars.

In 2020, agrifood systems emitted 16 billion tonnes of CO2, with various sources of emissions. Meanwhile, more than 30 percent of total global land is degraded, over 20 percent of the world’s aquifers are overexploited, and agrobiodiversity is threatened. There are circular, interconnected impacts across agrifood and other systems, including environmental and health systems. 

In this context, the FAO Director-General issued a compelling call to action, emphasizing the urgent need to transform agrifood systems for carbon neutrality. This transformation requires improved governance of natural resources, increased productivity (producing more with less inputs), improved consumption patterns and behavior, sustainable production practices, and cleaner energy use.

The importance of FAO and the Four Betters

Qu reiterated the importance of the FAO’s Strategic Framework 2022-31, centered on the “Four Betters” – better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life.

He explained that the concept of the “Four Betters” serves as an organizational principle within this framework, reflecting the interconnected economic, social, and environmental dimensions of agrifood systems. These principles encourage a strategic and systems-oriented approach across all FAO interventions. Qu also introduced four cross-cutting “accelerators” – technology, innovation, data, and complementary elements such as governance, human capital, and institutions – which should be integrated into programmatic interventions to expedite progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The FAO Director-General further emphasized the imperative need for a comprehensive agrifood systems strategy to address the escalating threats faced by the world. He highlighted the importance of immediate action to protect livelihoods, ensure the sustainability of our planet, and secure lasting outcomes.

Qu referred to the challenge of the need to feed 10 billion people by 2050 and highlighted the paramount importance of accelerating the impact of FAO’s programmatic interventions while minimizing trade-offs.

FAO has identified 20 priority program areas aligned with the “Four Betters”. Key priorities include green innovation, One Health, equitable access for small-scale producers, digital agriculture, healthy diets for all, restoring ecosystems, reducing food loss and waste, and promoting transparent markets and trade.

FAO’s priorities extend to gender equality, rural women’s empowerment, sustainable urban food systems, and resilient agrifood systems. Special initiatives for scaling-up investment and the Hand-in-Hand initiative, are dedicated to bringing collective action to scale, facilitating transformative change within agrifood systems.

High-Level Plenary at Sustainable Development Summit

The ICSD’s high-level plenary, held at Columbia University, which featured the FAO Director-General’s keynote intervention, drew over 800 in-person attendees, including students, faculty, academia, private sector representatives, and government leaders from the New York region.

Additionally, more than 1,000 participants registered online. The plenary also featured distinguished speakers such as the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, Amina Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General, and Gerd Müller, Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).

The ICSD is a premier international conference that convenes experts, academics, government officials, civil society representatives, UN agencies, and private sector leaders to collaborate on practical solutions for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The event facilitates discussions on various topics related to sustainable development, including gender equity, climate change, and economic development.

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Africa should prioritise intra-regional trade to help ensure food security – AGRA president

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AGRA president Dr. Agnes Kalibata is urging African governments to prioritise intra-regional trade on the continent to help ensure food security.

Speaking at the Food+ Forum on the sidelines of the 78th United Nations General Assembly, she expressed concern; “Intra-Africa trade is currently at 15%. Africa does not trade with itself on food. Africa gets food from everywhere else except Africa.”

“There exist opportunities for the continent to eat what we produce, and produce what we eat. This is the food systems transformation needed for the continent,” she said.

Organised by the Foreign Policy Magazine, Dr. Kalibata spoke on the theme; “Tilling the Future: Transformational Solutions in Agriculture.” It was moderated by Foreign Policy CEO and publisher, Andrew Sollinger.

She said that to continue transforming agri-food systems, Africa needs to address climate change as an urgent and pressing problem that demands immediate attention.

“The hunger we are seeing is a combination of so many things. But the bottom line of it all is the issue of climate change.

“Africa will struggle to feed itself if we don’t deal with the issue of climate change… This is a whole combination of things we are seeing and it will get worse,” she warned.

She called for immediate actions to “ensure smallholder farmers have the resilience needed for sustainable farming, and are planning ahead.”

“Africa needs to foster resilience in agriculture. Doing so, we’ll secure our future and also create vital employment opportunities,” she said.

Dr. Kalibata said Africa needs to prioritise indigenous crops and diversify the kind of crops grown on the continent to survive climate change.

“Africa has a diversity of commodity crops. We need to tap into this diversity more. For example, Africa has surprised the world in surviving the Russia – Ukraine Crisis, because of this diversity,” she said. “We need to market African indigenous crops more,” she added.

The AGRA boss called for “a different transformational plan for Africa’s food security.” “We need a Marshall plan that will invest in the food systems in real-time,” she added.

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Africa’s food insecurity to be non-existent in the next 5 years – AfDB

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  • AfDB’s $25 billion food security goal progressing well, with $12 billion worth of food already produced.
  • AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina aims to eliminate food insecurity in Africa within five years, citing technology and financing capabilities. 
  • Climate challenges, global grain market disruptions, and nutrition crises underscore the urgency of AfDB’s efforts to enhance food security in Africa.

The $25 billion goal of the African Development Bank (AfDB) is “well on track,” according to AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina, whose organization supports programs in over 30 African nations that have contributed to the production of almost $12 billion worth of food.

“As far as I’m concerned, we shouldn’t be talking about food security in Africa more than five years from now. There’s no reason for it,” the AfDB president disclosed to the American news agency, Reuters. “We have the technology and the financing to do it at scale,” he added.

According to the report following the news agency’s discussion with the AfDB president, “Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, one of the world’s top grain exporters, sent tremors through global grain markets, threatening food supplies for some of the most fragile nations, including many in Africa.”

The development of the El Nio weather pattern and the failure of a deal to move grain from Ukraine via the Black Sea have worsened the world’s food security problems.

Adesina brought up the expansion of special agro-industrial processing zones, which in Nigeria alone might increase from covering eight states to 35 after a recent request, during her remarks on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly sessions in New York. These are rural regions where infrastructure development is being prioritized in order to attract food and agricultural businesses.

“Twenty-seven more states in Nigeria made a request to us to continue to support them in this particular area,” the AfDB president said.

According to the AfDB, 216 million children in Africa are affected by undernutrition and stunting, and over half of all child fatalities on the continent are caused by inadequate nutrition. The economic cost of poor nutrition is estimated to be 11% of Africa’s GDP.

Before governments gather in late November for international climate talks in Dubai, Adesina said he expected the International Monetary Fund board to push proposals to channel $100 billion in funding to vulnerable nations through multilateral development banks.

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Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana solicits FAO support to Address Ghana’s Apiculture Industry.

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Honey is one of the most demanded commodities on the international market with high nutrient value and huge economic benefits. Ghana produces a lot of honey for the international market, especially for the EU market but, there is no policy framework regulating apiculture activities. This has enabled delisting Ghana from the EU making, meaning banning Ghana from selling her honey to the EU market leading to the bemoaning of honey producers after production.

To enhance quality honey production to bring Ghana back to the EU market, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana have called on the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to support the interventions to formulate policies to strengthen the sector.

During the call, the CEO of the Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana, Farmer Anthony Morrison revealed that apiculture is the second economic activity for several women in the agroforestry and plantations centers in the country. Although the hives are owned by the men, the women are given the opportunity to take care of the hives serving as a socio-economic activity for the women.

Irrespective of the several interventions that the private sector is putting in place to improve the apiculture sector in Ghana, there are three key issues that need to be addressed.

According to the CEO, Ghana does not have a policy strategy on apiculture development, secondly, how the private sector can bring innovation into the honey industry especially the movement of honey in terms of traceability and lastly to inculcate the school children into the industry in the form of providing hives for the various school vegetations.

Farmer Morrison bemoaned that likewise the cocoa industry where most of the cocoa farmers have not tasted chocolate before, most people at the honey producing communities have not tasted honey before, however, the private sector want to package honey in smaller economic pack to enhance the availability of honey to those at the disadvantage communities.

“Honey is a low handing fruit that can actually impact the socio-economic lives of many people in our rural areas, but we need such a driver as policy to help guide our operations so that all of us; the government, private and state agencies would have some form of direction and work together to make sure the sector is developed”, Dr. Courage Besa-Adanu, the convenor, Make Ghana Honey Fit for Local and Export project said.

He acknowledged the interventions that have taken place for the past years by the Agric Ministry, FAO and other non-governmental organizations, yet to actualize a holistic industry with all the organs functioning properly, there should be a policy that touches on how the various aspects of the value chain need to be developed.

He underscored the improvement made by the private sector to lift the face of apiculture when the Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana in partnership with other private organizations trained about four hundred and fifty people within two years with the support from QSI and GIZ.

The training has enhanced the formation and strengthening of associations within the apiculture industry with common voice, aims and objectives to protect the interest of the beekeepers and improve the quality of honey in Ghana.

The Chamber, and the private sector are very optimistic to alleviate the issues in the industry by training about thousand beekeepers, and the value chain actors in the year ahed.

Mentioning some of the interventions by the private sector, Dr. courage said, “in terms of the private sector, what we are trying to do is to streamline the apiculture sector in terms of traceability system and the traceability system is rapt in various tools, but the tools we are using right now is collective marketing”.

“Been sponsored by GIZ we are trying to develop a common code of practice manual for the sector where those who want to market in premium market both in Ghana and abroad could use that as a vehicle to get to those market, so if FAO can help us to put a strong policy together that would curtail all forms of irregularities and have a common direction for all the stakeholders to know its responsibilities to ensure that the various structures that are needed are put in place”, he added.

Dr. Dennis Owusu Adjei from the Animal Protection Directorate of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture said beekeeping is a livelihood support for the farmers during cocoa off season and forest conservation.

The Ministry is critical in supporting the apiculture sector to develop. However, with the engagement of FAO and the private sector policies could be drafted and sustained.

In response, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations assured to give its support to the good interventions that the government and the stakeholders would take to strengthen Ghana’s apiculture to improve food safety.

The Deputy Regional Representative for Africa and FAO Representative to Ghana, Yurdi Yasmi commended the team for such a remarkable step to strengthen the country’s apiculture to enhance food safety.

He acknowledged the existing activities of the stakeholders like GIZ, Olam and FAO to the development of Ghana’s apiculture.

FAO provides technical support unlike the World Bank and African Development Bank, FAO is not a funding agency but a technical agency of the United Nations, however, the organization could assist to look for funds.               `

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The politics and economics of cocoa producer price

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In 1970, my late father acquired a piece of land in the Ahafo Region and started cocoa farming with my mother.

After he passed in 1977, my now eighty-five-year-old mother continued with the project.

I grew up hearing stories of what life is like for cocoa farmers.

Years later, I examined the cocoa sector as part of my political economy PhD dissertation work. I, therefore, have a deep interest in what happens to cocoa farmers.

Politics of 
producer price

The announcement of the new cocoa producer price has generated a heated debate between our two main political parties.

While the government touts the historic increase in the producer price, the main opposition accuses the government of shortchanging farmers.

The welfare of Ghana’s cocoa farmers is important.

No one disputes that.

Governments, over the years, have tried to offer a decent producer price and other types of support to the cocoa farmer.

But we cannot overlook the politics that come with ensuring the welfare of our cocoa farmers.

We have a political duopoly (NDC-NPP) that regularly competes with each other to win the hearts and minds of Ghanaians, including our cocoa farmers, during elections.

That is why we regularly witness these “political fights” over which party has done a better job of looking out for the welfare of cocoa farmers. 

Economics 
of producer price

There are economic realities that politics must contend with.

First, I agree that we must pay the farmer a fair price.

If you have ever read “Chocolate Nations: Living and Dying for Cocoa in West Africa” by Órla Ryan, you will appreciate the plight of cocoa farmers.

In addition, if you have ever visited cocoa-growing areas, you will see why we must do more for our cocoa farmers.

The real challenge is how you determine what a fair price is.

Ghana has a producer price formula and a producer price review committee that determines and recommends a fair price to the government.

When estimating the revenue component of the pricing formula, there is little control over certain inputs – the FOB price on the international market, the crop estimate and the exchange rate.

These uncertainties mean that the committee must rely on a combination of historical data and best estimates to arrive at what that fair price should be.

Second, and related to the above, is the exchange rate implication for the computed expected revenue.

When the currency depreciates, the expected revenue in the local currency is higher.

Alternatively, when the currency appreciates, the expected revenue in the local currency is less.

For example, the Cedi equivalent when the exchange rate is GH₵11 is not the same when it is GH₵8.

It is, therefore, easier to point to increasing revenue accruing from cocoa sales when there is currency depreciation than when there is currency appreciation and use that as a basis to demand more from cocoa farmers.

Third is the choice of how Ghana sells its cocoa. In layman’s terms, we sell tomorrow’s cocoa at today’s price (forward sales).

This means that although tomorrow’s price could be higher, for whatever policy and budget imperatives we hedge our best bets and use this approach, we cannot judge the fairness of the producer price by comparing an approach that sells tomorrow’s cocoa at today’s price to an approach that sells tomorrow’s cocoa at tomorrow’s price (spot sales).

When the world market price of cocoa is good, it is much easier to wish you sold your cocoa using the spot sales approach.

Fourth, the strategy of your buyers can undermine genuine efforts to pay a fair price.

Think about the brilliant initiative where Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire jointly announced a Living Income Differential of four hundred dollars ($400) per metric tonne to ensure better producer prices for the farmers.

Documented research shows that there has been difficulty in implementing this because of the major buyers devising strategies to buy cocoa from other producers to avoid paying the living income differential.

When all is 
said and done

I appreciate the concerns of how well a government treats cocoa farmers.

There is nothing new about this “fight” though.

I do not recall an opposition party ever applauding a ruling government whenever cocoa producer prices are announced.

Anytime a sitting government announces the cocoa producer price, the opposition response is “The government could have done better.”

I once applauded a sitting government for increasing the cocoa producer price.

By the next morning, someone had contacted a friend asking if I was a sympathiser of that ruling government.

I am only the son of a cocoa farmer interested in the political economy of the cocoa sector.

 The writer is a Democracy and Development Fellow at the Ghana Centre for Dem

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The Agriwoman Marketplace returns on 29th September 2023.

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About Fifty (50)and more women farmers, processors, aggregators, agric input dealers, packagers, and other value chain actors, are expected to participate in the 13th edition of the monthly ‘Agri-Woman Market Place, to be held at the Forecourt of Agrihouse Foundation office, Dzorwulu. The event is scheduled for the last Friday of  September, specifically on the 29th of this month in  2023, commencing at 9 a.m. and closing at 5 p.m.

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Collaboration is key in the fight to tackle forced and child labour – Rainforest Alliance

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The Rainforest Alliance, an International Non-profit Organization is supporting cocoa companies, traders, cooperatives, farmer groups and gold associations to implement measures that will help to prevent, identify and address forced labour and child labour in their daily operations across the globe.

The organization as part of their “Yen Ne Mmofra No Nti” project has introduced a Tool called the Human Rights Due Diligence Toolkit prepared for cocoa cooperatives, mining firms, gold associations, and groups operating in the cocoa and gold sectors of Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and globally.

The tool will provide relevant information on the nature and impact of human right issues we include child labour, forced labour and gender discrimination in the cocoa sector, as well as the legal frameworks and internationally recognized standards that govern cocoa and gold mining.

Workshop

Speaking at a validation workshop held in Accra on the Tool, Country Director for Rainforest Alliance, Ghana/Nigeria, Kwame Osei Boateng mentioned that an estimated 1.56 million children are in child labour in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana.

According to him, studies show that most of the children who work on cocoa farms do so within their household or extended family.

“Child labour is a complex issue which needs all expertise to come on board to help tackle it head on.

“Our challenge is that the sector is stricken with poverty and hence culminated in many difficulties at the farmer level.

“I believe that we are all in this together and by completing this tool, implementing and scaling it up, it will go a long way to reduce the incidence of child labour and bring cases to its lowest level” he said.

Senior Project Manager, Joyce Poku-Marboah explained that the involvement of relevant stakeholders is highly beneficial.

She indicated that whiles it makes them feel valued and involved, it allows for buy-in of the tool and most importantly gathering of direct feedback from those who will use it.

She further stated that one of the objectives is to ensure uptake of the of gender-sensitive HRDD tool in 120 selected cocoa cooperatives, companies, and gold mining associations covering over 300,000 members by the end of 2024. 

“The Rainforest Alliance with funding from NORAD, and implementing partners; International Cocoa Initiative and Solidaridad Ghana want to increase awareness, engagement and socio-economic resilience of 12,500 vulnerable individuals including, children, youth, women and men.

“The outcome of this project will be that the Ghanaian government at a district, regional and national level will implement measures to prevent, identify, and address forced labour and to protect vulnerable groups” she mentioned.

Overview

A consultant for the Yen Ne Mmofra No Nti project, Dr. Albert Arhin in his presentation explained that the Tool is a comprehensive framework that enables companies, cooperatives, and organisations to identify, prevent, mitigate, and account for potential and actual human rights impacts within their operations and supply chains.

According to him, it uses a systematic and proactive approach to assess, address, and monitor human rights risks and violations.

Dr. Arhin explained that the primary goal of the tool is to ensure that organisations respect and promote human rights, as outlined in internationally recognized standards, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Labour Organisation’s core conventions.

“Let me state that the key elements of a Human Rights Due Diligence system (HRDD) typically are Commitment, Risk Assessment and Mitigation, Grievance Mechanism, Remediation, Monitoring and Evaluation and lastly Communication and Reporting.

“Once you follow this process, you are 100% sure an organisations can identify and address human rights risks, improve supply chain practices, enhance social and environmental sustainability, and uphold their responsibilities to respect human rights” he said.

Appreciation

The participants were grateful to Rainforest Alliance for introducing this new HRDD tool to them and their famer organisations.

“We are excited that this tool provides guidance on communicating HRDD activities and producing annual reports to engage stakeholders. It will set the platform for meeting the EU HRDD Directive. ”

“We have learnt that the tool provides guidance on communicating HRDD activities and producing annual reports to engage stakeholders, demonstrate accountability, and foster trust” said Council Chairman of Cocoa Abrabopa Association (CAA), Ismail Pomasi.

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Nigeria, Ghana sign MoU to boost rice, wheat, soya beans farming.

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A Nigerian company, EGTA Investment Limited on Saturday signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a Ghanaian conglomerate, Jospong Group of Companies, to boost of food production.

The MoU signed by the two entities at the Ghana High Commission in Abuja, was centered on boosting rice farming, wheat, soya beans, yellow corn, and sunflower production, among others.

The MoU was signed under the supervision of Alhaji Bello Goronyo, Minister of State for Water Resources and Sanitation and Mr Eddison Agbenyegah, Ghana Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria.

Also present was Mr Aminu Goronyo, President of Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN).
Speaking, Mr Bashir Ibrahim, Group Managing Director of EGTA, said the agreement between the two companies was important in promoting investments in agriculture.

He said that there was also the need for adequate investments to advance agricultural growth in Africa through cooperation, financial, social andpolitical relationships between African nations.

Ibrahim said: “It is on that basis that the ECTA delegation went to Ghana to negotiate this historic MoU; this led ECTA delegation to Ghana and Jospong delegation to Nigeria.

“To negotiate and come to agreement on this MoU built on the long standing friendly relations that has existed since independence between Ghana and Nigeria.

“In fact, if there are any two countries that do close to the extent that event in one country leads to same event in another, it is Nigeria and Ghana.

“So, the signing of this MoU is in line with that tradition. The future of Africa depends on this concept of cooperation, financial investment, technical, social, economic, political cooperation between African nations.”

Ibrahim described the cooperation between both companies as an extension of the historic relationship between Ghana and Nigeria, saying that the MoU would cover production of agricultural commodities.

He also said it would provide technical, financial and investment cooperation, as well as training and capacity building for Ghana’s agriculture ecosystem.

Ibrahim said that the agreement, which was one out of many with other foreign partners was made possible by President Bola Tinubu administration’s business-friendly commitment to make private sector key drivers in economic diversification.

Also speaking, Mr George Blavo, Lead Coordinator, Rice Project, Jospong Group of Companies, Ghana, said the agreement was in line with Ghana’s agricultural agenda.

Blavo, who signed the MoU on behalf of Jospong, said the agreement was basically aimed at lifting people of Ghana from poverty through agricultural development.

According to him, it would add value to the agricultural food chain, food security, reducing food imports, with the private sector as a pivotal force.
“We are hopeful this MOU will further strengthen the Nigeria -Ghana bilateral relationship; which must ensure that partnership betwen Ghana and Nigeria is given priority.

“In Ghana, we cherish the long standing relationship between our two countries and it is our hope that this partnership will grow from strength-to-strength, for our mutual benefits,” he said. Blavo extolled Ghana-Nigeria relationship that focussed on economic, trade and investment, technology, security and agriculture.

According to him, the ceremony attested to the long standing relationship that existed between both countries.

For his part, Agbenyegah said that Ghana sought to learn best practices from Nigeria, which had since become a “Rice Super Power”, adding that the country has become one of the leading producers of rice in Africa.

“We are all aware that Nigeria is the biggest producer of rice and the contribution of ECTA to this achievement is well known to all of us.

“We are going to ride on the policies and business policies the Federal Government of Nigeria will reel out, to make this kind of cooperation easy and even, more fruitful.

“We are happy to be partners in this private sector initiative in deepening rice production in Ghana

“Ghana is hosting the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA) Secretariat, therefore we want to deepen cooperation to propel regional growth,” he said. Jospong is a Ghanaian company with business interest in over 14 sectors, spanning 60 subsidiaries, with operations in Africa and Asia.

Meanwhile, the President of RIFAN, Goronyo, said that Nigeria had made a remarkable progress in rice production over the previous decade after banning the importation of rice.He added that such feat surpassed Egypt’s, with a yearly production of 5.8 metric tonnes of rice

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