ACCRA, Ghana
Ghana has launched the AgriConnect Compact, a $3.5 billion agricultural initiative backed by the World Bank Group and development partners to boost food security, create jobs and attract investment across key agricultural value chains.
The initiative is being implemented with support from the World Bank Group and development partners and is designed to coordinate public and private sector efforts to improve productivity, expand value addition, increase access to markets and finance, and strengthen resilience across Ghana’s agri-food system.
The compact prioritizes cocoa, oil palm, rice, maize and poultry, while also supporting sectors including cashew, coconut, rubber, fisheries and the forest economy.
The first phase of the program will run from 2026 to 2030 and is expected to improve food and nutrition security for an estimated 2.99 million people, according to a World Bank Group statement issued June 3. The initiative also aims to support the creation of more than 2.6 million jobs by 2035.
Funding requirements for the first phase are estimated at approximately $3.5 billion, with financing expected from the Government of Ghana, development partners and the private sector.
“Ghana’s AgriConnect Compact is a bold step toward building a more productive, resilient and jobs-rich food system,” said Guangzhe Chen, World Bank Group vice president for Planet.
He said the initiative would help strengthen food security, support farmers and agribusinesses, and attract private investment.
Minister of Food and Agriculture Eric Opoku described the compact as a roadmap to modernize agriculture, support farmers and strengthen value chains to drive economic growth.
Deputy Minister of Finance Thomas Nyarko Ampem said the government was committed to working with stakeholders to translate the compact’s objectives into tangible results, including job creation, industrial development and wealth generation.
The initiative focuses on areas such as irrigation, seed systems, mechanization, farmer services, agro-processing and logistics to increase domestic food production and processing.
Officials said the compact combines policy reforms, targeted investments and implementation mechanisms under a single national framework intended to position agriculture as a driver of inclusive growth, industrialization and long-term economic resilience.
AgriConnect is a World Bank Group initiative that aims to transform farming for 300 million smallholder farmers by 2030.
The program is supported by partners including the African Development Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, International Fund for Agricultural Development, Google and Bayer.
The Ghana AgriConnect Compact is aligned with the country’s broader agricultural transformation agenda and efforts to attract private investment into the sector.
