Lured into the business of exporting exotic fresh foods to Europe, Ghana has neglected its own food security. The lack of investment in storage, irrigation and credit results in low yields for the small-scale subsistence farms on which a large proportion of the population depends. Land tenure is weak and there has been insufficient protection against imports from countries with generous subsidy regimes such as the US. The consequence is that Ghana has to import a significant proportion of its staple rice and grains, leaving the country exposed to the spiral in world prices during 2008.

This came as a bitter blow to households already spending much of their income on food and the government was forced to abandon its non-interventionist strategy in agriculture. The sector is now stimulated with subsidised seeds and fertilizer, along with free tractors for some farmers.

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