Former Ethiopia Prime Minister and Board Chair of AGRA (Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa), H.E. Hailemariam Dessalegn, has encouraged other countries to look to Ghana in its progress in agricultural development over the last ten years.

H.E. Dessalegn was speaking at the presidential palace in Accra, Ghana, where he met the country’s President H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for talks on Africa’s agricultural and food systems.

H.E Dessalegn is in Ghana on a four-day tour to evaluate the impact of AGRA’s investments in West Africa’s agricultural sector, and to develop further opportunities for cooperation. AGRA supports the mobilization of political leadership and private sector participation in promoting agriculture to reduce rural poverty, promote food security and increase household income.

“Ghana has prioritized agriculture successfully over the last ten years as a way of supporting sustainable development”, said H.E. Dessalegn. “We have seen how significant progress can be made in certain crops and regions – now AGRA supports the government in its quest for a transformation of agriculture in the country.”

Ghana’s investment in agriculture is particularly notable as Africa prepares for the September UN Food Systems Summit, where leaders will consider what is needed to create resilient and sustainable food systems.

“AGRA supports Ghana in building resilience and environmental sustainability across its agriculture ecosystem. Its particular strength is to bring best practice and evidence supported innovation to nationally determined priorities,” said H.E. Dessalegn.

H.E. President Akufo-Addo reiterated that AGRA’s approach to inclusive agriculture transformation is
aligned with the Government of Ghana’s social and economic development agenda.

H.E. Dessalegn also used the opportunity to invite President H.E. Akufo-Addo to the 2021 AGRF Summit
to be held in in Nairobi, Kenya, on September 7 – 10, 2021.

H.E. Dessalegn and his delegation will in the next two days conduct field visits in Ghana to witness
AGRA’s contribution to agricultural growth in the region.

Established in 2006, AGRA is an African-led and Africa-based institution that puts smallholder farmers at
the center of the continent’s growing economy by transforming agriculture from a solitary struggle to
survive into farming as a business that thrives.

Together with our partners, we catalyze and sustain an inclusive agricultural transformation to increase incomes and improve food security for 30 million farming households in 11 African countries by 2021.