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Sustainable Agriculture

Agriculture remains a cornerstone of Ghana’s economy, contributing 23.5% of the country’s GDP in the first quarter of 2025 and recording the highest sectoral growth rate of 6.6% year-on-year. The sector is diverse, encompassing food crops, cash crops, livestock, fisheries, and forestry. Ghana’s favorable climate and fertile soils support the cultivation of staples like maize, rice, cassava, and yams, while cash crops such as cocoa, cashew, and shea play a vital role in export earnings and rural development.

Background

Agriculture continues to be a dynamic and foundational sector in Ghana, employing nearly 45% of the population and offering significant opportunities for inclusive economic growth. Women play a central role, making up over half of the agricultural workforce. The sector is diverse, encompassing food and tree crops, fisheries, aquaculture, and emerging non-traditional products such as mushrooms and snails. With increasing interest in value addition, climate-smart practices, and export diversification, agriculture is well-positioned to drive rural transformation and national development.      

Only 1.5% of Ghana’s arable land is irrigated, forcing reliance on fruit and vegetable imports from Burkina Faso. Closing this gap could boost local production for both domestic and export markets. The agro-food processing sector has strong potential but remains underdeveloped due to poor infrastructure, weak compliance with international standards, and limited quality assurance. While exports of cocoa, cashew, and shea generate significant revenue, growth is constrained by the lack of accredited laboratories for standardization and quality control—limiting access to high-value global markets. 

There is also untapped potential in using agricultural sidestreams—such as cassava waste, cocoa pods, and fruit peels—for value-added products, bioenergy, and circular economy models. By-products from shea and cashew processing could be transformed into cosmetics, animal feed, or clean energy. These innovations align with green skills development and support sustainable business growth. 

To unlock this potential, Ghana needs investment in irrigation, agro-processing infrastructure, and capacity building. Promoting sustainable agriculture and dynamic agroforestry can restore degraded soils and enhance climate resilience. Strengthening lab systems and improving market linkages,especially for crops like cashew and shea, would boost Ghana’s competitiveness while improving livelihoods for millions dependent on agriculture. 

The sector is also seeing a shift toward more sustainable and regenerative practices. Innovations in agroforestry, irrigation, and digital agriculture are opening new pathways for productivity and resilience. There is growing momentum behind climate-smart agriculture, supported by both public and private actors, and a renewed focus on building robust value chains that benefit producers and consumers alike. 

Swisscontact Ghana’s Approach and Interventions

Swisscontact Ghana aligns its vision with these emerging opportunities by supporting a transition to sustainable agriculture that is inclusive, market-oriented, and environmentally sound. Through partnerships, innovation, and capacity building, Swisscontact aims to strengthen value chains, enhance farmer incomes, and contribute to a resilient agricultural ecosystem that supports long-term development goals. 

Agricultural Areas

Cocoa in Ghana
KaNea

Swisscontact’s Cocoa Light Bulb Approach called KaNea in Ghana is a bold initiative designed to transform the cocoa sector through innovation, collaboration, and sustainability. By working alongside public and private stakeholders under a shared roadmap (yet to be designed), the approach promotes dynamic agroforestry, enhances farmer incomes through new revenue streams like carbon credit, and introduces productivity-boosting technologies. With a strong focus on research, skills development, and coordinated extension services, this systemic model aims to build a resilient, climate-smart, and inclusive cocoa value chain—ensuring long-term impact and fairer livelihoods for Ghanaian cocoa farmers. Swisscontact will work closely with all the stakeholders to bolster KaNea.
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Cashew production in Ghana
Cashew production plays a vital role in Ghana’s agricultural economy, serving as a key source of export revenue and rural employment. Its growing contribution to foreign exchange earnings and livelihood support highlights its strategic importance in the country’s economic diversification efforts  According to official data from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, in 2022 Ghana produced about 200,000 tons of Raw Cashew Nuts (RCN) per 234,171 hectares. The sector has contributed substantially to the nation’s economy, with export revenues reaching approximately $300 million in 2023 and supporting an estimated 200,000 farmers. 
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Shea production in Ghana
Shea production in Ghana, while less structured than cocoa, is also a vital agricultural activity, particularly in the northern regions. The country produces between 130,000 and 150,000 metric tons of shea nuts annually. Unlike cocoa, shea trees grow wild in the savannah ecological zones, and their cultivation is not confined to clearly demarcated farms. The shea industry is a significant source of income for rural communities, especially women, with over 600,000 women engaged in the collection and processing of shea nuts. In 2023, Ghana earned approximately $90 to $100 million from shea exports, making it one of the country’s key non-traditional export commodities. 
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