Background

The agricultural sector in Ghana has received assistance from the Canadian government through several programs. Canada launched the first bilateral development initiative for Africa and was one of the first nations to acknowledge Ghana’s independence in 1957. In order to promote Ghanaian and Canadian priorities, such as enhancing agricultural systems, livelihoods, and food security, Canada has given more than $2.5 billion in development aid. Canada is helping to build the skills of young Ghanaian women and men in productive sectors of the economy, such as agriculture and trade, and to grow business ideas into successful enterprises, particularly in key areas of the green economy. Ghana’s contribution to the Canadian agricultural sector is primarily through trade. In 2021, the two-way merchandise trade between Canada and Ghana reached over $475 million. Ghana imports a significant amount of agricultural products from Canada, including wheat, canola, pulses (such as lentils and chickpeas), potatoes, fresh fruits, and vegetables. With imports worth more than $140 million, Ghana was Canada’s biggest market in West Africa for agricultural and agri-food products in 2020. Furthermore, Ghanaian businesses have made investments in Canada’s agriculture, namely in the processing of cocoa, coffee, and shea nuts. A few Ghanaian-Canadian businesses have also joined up to build agricultural initiatives in Ghana, including rice, poultry, and cocoa plantations. These partnerships aim to improve agricultural productivity, processing, and trade between the two countries.

The Canada-Ghana Agribusiness Summit is a landmark event aimed at fostering collaboration, knowledge exchange, and partnership development between stakeholders in the agricultural sectors of Canada and Ghana. This summit will serve as a platform for industry leaders, policymakers, investors, researchers, and entrepreneurs to explore opportunities, share best practices, and forge mutually beneficial partnerships to drive innovation and sustainable growth in agribusiness.