World Vision Ghana, a faith-based organization, has called for collaborative efforts to bridge the gaps among stakeholders in the agricultural value chain. This collaboration aims to enhance food productivity and increase the income levels of smallholder farmers.
Mr. Sergious Before, the Acting Northern Regional Operations Manager at World Vision Ghana, highlighted a disconnect among various players in the agriculture value chain, including farmers, input dealers, service providers, processors, and consumers. This disconnect adversely affects farmers, making it challenging for them to access products, services, and favorable market conditions.
Mr. Before made these remarks during a market linkage fair organized by World Vision Ghana in Paga, located in the Kassena-Nankana West District of the Upper East Region. The fair was part of the Landscape and Environmental Agility Across the Nation (LEAN) project, funded by the European Union’s Global Climate Change Alliance Plus (GCCA+) initiative. The project operates in the Kassena-Nankana West and Damongo districts.
The fair aimed to promote the visibility of value chain activities, encourage business-to-business opportunities, build networks supporting sustainable market access and service provision, and facilitate direct linkages between local value chain actors and potential buyers and service providers.
Mr. Before emphasized the importance of linking smallholder farmers effectively within the value chain to increase production, income, and poverty reduction. He explained that World Vision Ghana employs the Local Value Chain Development approach to create partnerships between producers, processors, and marketers, ultimately improving product quality, efficiency, and market access.
The fair sought to enhance inclusive and efficient food systems by better integrating smallholder farmers and agribusinesses into value chains. Additionally, it aimed to conserve biodiversity, enhance climate resilience, reduce emissions from land-use changes, and improve livelihoods for local farmers, including creating job opportunities for youth and promoting gender-inclusive activities in the agriculture sector.
Through the project, 600 small ruminants have been distributed to farmers, and 41,000 tree seedlings have been provided. The project aligns with the government’s Planting for Food and Jobs program, particularly in addressing market linkage challenges, and contributes to agricultural development in the region.