By: Gloria Anderson, Nairobi, Kenya
Ghana has the potential not only to achieve food self-sufficiency but also to become a net exporter of food to other African countries if it adopts the right technologies and maintains supportive policies, an expert has said. Dr Daniel Taylor-Willie, Agrologist and Head of Agribusiness, Commercialisation and Policy at the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), said Ghana’s progress in agricultural biotechnology is commendable and demonstrates the country’s readiness to transform its food systems.
Speaking in an interview with Gloria Anderson on the sidelines of the IFAJ World Congress of Agricultural Journalists, Dr Taylor-Willie cited the successful release of the Pod Borer Resistant (PBR) cowpea, a genetically engineered variety resistant to the Maruca pest, as a major milestone in Ghana’s biotechnology journey. “The PBR cowpea is already in the hands of farmers, and it holds high potential to deal with the Maruca pest problem,” he said. “This success was made possible through Ghana’s strong biosafety regulations and an enabling environment that supports the commercialization of GM crops.”
He revealed that under the Alliance for Cowpea Initiative in Africa, AATF is now working on a new cowpea variety that provides double protection against Maruca pests in the field and Bruchid pests during storage. “That means we are protecting the crop both in the field and in the store,” he explained. While acknowledging Ghana’s achievements, Dr Taylor-Willie noted that seed production remains a key constraint in making the improved cowpea accessible to more farmers. “Developing a variety is one thing, but ensuring that it is available to farmers is another,” he stated. “After commercial release, the next step is to build a strong seed system, ensuring there are enough seed growers to multiply the seed from breeder level to foundation and certified seed.”
He disclosed that seed multiplication efforts had slowed after funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was discontinued but assured that steps were being taken to revive the process. “I can’t say the seed will be available tomorrow, but there are clear efforts to sustain what has already been achieved,” he added. On the inclusion of smallholder farmers, Dr Taylor-Willie said AATF has established a strong stewardship programme to make sure farmers continue benefiting from biotechnology innovations. “Cowpea is a self-pollinated crop, so farmers can replant it without major concerns,” he explained. “We have a system that ensures as farmers buy, replant, and reuse seeds, they are supported to maintain the trait’s effectiveness and continue to enjoy its benefits.”
He added that AATF’s public–private partnership model is designed to be inclusive, ensuring that farmers’ needs and voices are central to the innovation process. “We don’t assume what farmers need; we work with them to identify their challenges and co-create solutions. The farmer is always at the centre of everything we do,” he emphasized. Addressing public agitation and misinformation surrounding GMOs, Dr Taylor-Willie said it was expected that new technologies would face resistance, much like mobile phones and computers did when they were first introduced. “We foresaw this challenge and, as early as the 2000s, established the Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB) to educate the public,” he noted. “Through OFAB’s national chapters, including in Ghana, we have been deliberate in educating farmers, lawyers, judges, journalists, and the general public on biotechnology to dispel myths and misconceptions.”
Beyond GM crops, Dr Taylor-Willie said AATF is supporting Ghana through the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) programme of the African Development Bank (AfDB). Under TAAT, AATF leads two major components — one focused on drought-tolerant, non-GM maize varieties, and another on seed policy harmonization under ECOWAS to facilitate the movement of seeds across West Africa. He commended Ghana for making significant progress in domesticating regional policies but said there were still gaps that needed attention. “Ghana has done well compared to countries like Liberia and Sierra Leone, but there are still a few challenges, such as limited budgetary support for national variety release committees and the need for enhanced laboratory capacity for seed testing and quarantine measures,” he said.
Dr Taylor-Willie also highlighted AATF’s involvement in Kenya’s home-grown school feeding model, which integrates local agricultural production into the national school meals programme. “In Kenya, we are helping the government design a sustainable and inclusive procurement system that sources school meals from within local communities,” he explained. “We are gathering data, supporting policy formulation, and co-designing a model that can be scaled across Africa, including Ghana.” He said once the model is successfully piloted in Kenya, there would be opportunities to replicate it in other African countries, offering a more sustainable approach to school feeding.
Dr Taylor-Willie concluded with a message of encouragement to Ghanaian farmers, seed producers, and consumers. “There are enormous opportunities in agriculture,” he said. “With the right policies and technologies in place, Ghana can feed itself and even export food to other parts of Africa. It’s only a matter of time.”
