The SIPAB team attended the 2nd Ghana – EU Business Forum 2024 which took place between the
3rd and 4th of July 2024. The Ghana-EU Business Forum provided a platform for robust engagement
between policy makers and private sector actors from Ghana and Europe.
The SIPAB Project Lead, Mr Jimmy Eko-Acquah, moderated the expert panel on opportunities and
challenges in agribusiness for investors. To improve the agricultural value chain in Ghana, there is a
critical need for advances in appropriate information exchange systems, technology, machinery,
transport and energy infrastructure.
To drive sustainable agricultural development in Ghana, there is a critical need to support the
private sector and leverage international cooperation to bridge the global investment gap.
As much as there are opportunities for Ghana-EU cooperation, there are also growing challenges
that are discouraging investment in the sector. A panel of private sector actors from Ghana and
Europe, development institutions and policy makers discussed these issues and their solutions for
mutually beneficial opportunities along agribusiness value chains.
The panel of five industry experts included Mr Samuel Anum, a senior representative from the
Ghana Industrial Property Office. Madam Nancy Samuriwo, an intellectual property expert and
representative of AfriPI Intellectual Property Rights and Innovation in Africa.
Dr Courage Komla Besah-Adanu who is currently working at the Ghana Industrial Property Office of the Registrar
General’s Department, Accra. Mr Ange Pascal Kouassi, who is the Proparco Country Representative
for Ghana and Liberia. And Mr Andrea Cavallo, who is part of the Italian group BF Spa, which owns
the largest agricultural company in Italy and indirectly owns farmers through agricultural consortia.
With extensive expertise in the agri-food chain, the BF Spa Group has significantly expanded its
operations in Africa in recent years.
The discussion concluded with many recommendations, including an emphasis on the importance of
industrial cooperatives and the need for companies to join them and reap the benefits.
