Involve farmers in formulation of arrangements
A two-year study on public-private partnerships (PPPs) and innovative platform (IP) arrangements in the agricultural sector has recommended the involvement of farmers in the formulation of such arrangements.
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The study also underscored the need for farmers to be trained and to ensure advocacy for inclusive development.
The study was jointly conducted by the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research of the University of Ghana and the Science and Technology Policy Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), in collaboration with the Wageningen University and Research Centre in The Netherlands.
The research findings were made known at a workshop in Accra yesterday. Participants included policy makers, donor partners, farmers, non-governmental organisations, private sector operators, academia and researchers.
Focus
The Director of the Science and Technology Policy Research Institute of the CSIR, Dr George Owusu Essegbey, said the researchers focused on partnership arrangements in the cocoa sector and soybean and cassava production in Ghana.
Mr Essegbey said while there was evidence of positive contributions of PPPs and IPs towards sustainable agricultural development, there was the need to develop strategies to deliver positive development outcomes by all actors.
“Whether PPP or IP, we need to be strategic in the way we enter partnerships to ensure our best interest,” he said.
Findings
In the cocoa sector, it was found out that farmers’ were not given a hearing in engagements between international companies and the government in PPP formulation and decision making, as they were not represented.
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In the soybean and cassava sectors, it was also found out that the private sector only participated occasionally for specific tasks, and after the project, the IP usually lacked funding to continue.
It was also observed that the government’s coordination and support for IPs in the food sector existed only on paper and that there was not enough interest or resources to implement the tasks.
One of the researchers, Dr Charity Osei-Amponsah, stressed the need to grow and sustain agriculture through partnerships.
Partnerships
The Policy Officer of Agribusiness at the Embassy of The Netherlands, Ms Josephine Ecklu, said the Netherland government was committed in engaging in partnerships with Ghana’s agricultural sector to promote trade.