The pineapple sector in Ghana continues to be a major contributor to rural livelihoods, nontraditional exports, and women’s economic participation. Yet women farmers remain underrepresented in high-value fruit value chains due to limited access to training, inputs, market linkages, and technical support.
To address this gap, HPW Fresh & Dry Ltd., in collaboration with the Chamber of Women in Agribusiness Ghana (CHAWA), has launched the Women in Pineapple Production (WIPP) initiative. The programme is designed to empower women in the Central and Eastern Regions to actively participate in sustainable pineapple production through training, capacity building, input support, mentorship, and structured market access.
WIPP aligns strongly with the objectives of the C-Fruit Ghana Project, jointly implemented by Swisscontact and HPW, which seeks to build climate-resilient, inclusive, and market-oriented pineapple, mango, and coconut value chains, with a particular focus on women and youth.
The pineapple sector in Ghana holds significant potential for economic growth and rural development, yet critical barriers continue to limit the full participation of women in this high-value value chain. Despite their important role in agriculture, women farmers often face restricted access to essential resources such as training, quality inputs, technical support, and reliable market linkages. These constraints not only hinder productivity and income generation but also reinforce gender disparities within the sector. Additionally, limited exposure to climate-smart agricultural practices leaves many women farmers vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, affecting both yield quality and long-term sustainability.
The project seeks to address these interconnected challenges by tackling the structural and capacity gaps that exclude women from competitive participation in pineapple production. By improving access to knowledge, inputs, mentorship, and structured markets, the initiative responds directly to issues of low productivity, inconsistent quality, and unstable income streams. It also aims to strengthen women’s confidence and visibility within the value chain, where they have traditionally been underrepresented, while promoting more inclusive, resilient, and market-oriented agricultural systems that can withstand environmental and economic pressures.
Building on its goal of strengthening women’s participation in the pineapple value chain, the initiative is structured around a set of targeted components designed to address the key barriers identified. These components take a holistic approach, combining skills development, access to resources, continuous technical support, and market integration to ensure that women farmers are not only equipped to produce, but also positioned to compete and thrive sustainably. The initiative is anchored on the following key components:
To equip women farmers with the skills, resources, and market opportunities needed to participate competitively and sustainably in pineapple production, thereby improving their incomes, resilience, and contribution to Ghana’s agricultural sector.
Deliver structured training and capacity building on good agricultural practices, farm management, and climate-smart pineapple production.
Provide access to production inputs, including planting materials and farming tools, to improve farm establishment and productivity.
Offer mentorship and technical coaching throughout the production cycle to improve quality, yield, and farm efficiency.
Facilitate guaranteed market access by linking participating women directly to HPW as an offtaker, ensuring fair and predictable sales.
Strengthen the role of women in the fruit value chain by enhancing their visibility, confidence, and capacity to participate in commercial agriculture.