Overseas Development Institute to launch report on Ghana's agriculture

Agric Minister Kwesi Ahwoi

The Overseas Development Institute (ODI), based in the UK is set to launch a new study on Ghana titled, The Ghana Story: Ghana's sustained agricultural story on June 23, 2011 at the Alisa Hotel in Accra. The report illustrates recent improvements in Ghana's agricultural sector.

According to the report, Government-led reforms of the domestic cocoa market have driven a tremendous record of agricultural growth – averaging over 5% for the last 25 years. Ghana has also raised food production per capita by more than 80% since the early 1980s, and has made progress towards self-sufficiency in staple foods.

Aided by these outcomes, Ghana is on track to meet the first Millennium Development Goal of halving rates of poverty and malnutrition by 2015, a statement issued in Accra said.

“The Ghana Story” is part of a broader global report based on research from 24 countries which highlights key drivers of progress such as leadership, policies, institutions and partnerships. The stories of progress – each based on one country – and titled Mapping Progress: Evidence for a new development outlook, was earlier on launched in London on June 13, 2011. The Ghana launch which is being convened by the African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET) is the only one to be held in Africa and will also highlight other stories of progress on the continent.

According to ODI Director, Dr. Alison Evans, “the performance of Ghana is a reason to be optimistic about the country's future. Despite major challenges confronting Ghana's agricultural sector we believe this report provides evidence that progress in development is not only possible, it is happening”.

Dr. Evans noted that looking at the strongest examples across the African continent, the report makes clear “that the most transformative and sustainable developments have occurred when the commitment to change has come from African countries and communities.”

Chief Communications Officer at ACET, Dr. Sheila Ochugboju added that “ACET is facilitating the launch to bring together leading thinkers in the development community to share and assess the findings of the report. We hope doing this will help to broaden the contextual understanding and relevance of its findings”

The keynote speaker at the Accra launch will be Ghana's Minister for Food and Agriculture, Mr. Kwesi Ahwoi.