By Albert Oppong-Ansah
Accra, Aug. 22, GNA – Agricultural experts and civil society advocates have called for a national agroecology policy to guide Ghana’s transition to sustainable farming and climate resilience.
The appeal was made at a national dialogue on sustainable agriculture, organised by the Centre for Indigenous Knowledge and Organizational Development (CIKOD), to validate findings from a recent study on perceptions of agroecology and Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) in Ghana.
The study examined stakeholder understanding and the application of agroecology and CSA, and their implications for future agricultural policy.
Dr Kwadjo Gyasi Santo, Senior Lecturer of Agronomy at the University of Energy and Natural Resources, noted that while both CSA and agroecology promote sustainability, agroecology offers greater benefits for Ghana’s smallholder farmers.
“Agroecology can be practised within climate-smart agriculture. But looking at Ghana’s context where most farmers are smallholders, I would recommend agroecology. It conserves biodiversity, increases food production, and protects our environment,” he said.
Madam Freda Pigru, Communications Coordinator for Groundswell International, said labour concerns in agroecology could be addressed through locally tailored innovations.
She cited collaborative efforts in northern Ghana to develop tools and bio-inputs that ease workloads and enhance productivity, particularly for women.
On cost concerns, Madam Pigru explained that higher prices were due to conventional agriculture being treated as the norm.
“If agroecological production becomes widespread and supported by the right policies, the cost of producing food this way will fall, and consumers will not have to pay more. It is what we make normal that determines what becomes expensive or cheap,” she said.
Mr. Wilberforce Laate, Deputy Executive Director of CIKOD, said the study revealed confusion among stakeholders, with agroecology and CSA often used interchangeably.
He urged Ghana to emulate countries such as Uganda and Togo, which have adopted national agroecology policies.
“Concepts matter. They shape how problems are understood and how solutions are designed. If Ghana develops a national agroecology policy, it will drive sustainable farming and provide clarity on how we support farmers and food systems.
“If we want a truly sustainable way of farming, then we should go for agroecology,” Mr. Laate said.
The experts called on government to prioritise agroecology in agricultural policy, highlighting its respect for traditional knowledge, its role in strengthening community food security, and its potential as a viable alternative to input-heavy industrial farming.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey