In April 2026, the World Farmers Markets Coalition (WorldFMC) launched the first mission of its AREA Africa Ghana project, marking a significant step toward strengthening farmers markets and advancing sustainable local food systems across the continent.
The mission brought together WorldFMC President Richard McCarthy, Director General Carmelo Troccoli, Coordinator Viola Capriola, along with Enrico Azzone AREA, Africa programme coordinator and AREA Africa Ghana Project Manager Alessandro Lorato, both from CIHEAM Bari. The delegation was warmly welcomed in Accra by WorldFMC co-founder and board member Dr. Selorm Akaba, and the mission began with a high-level meeting at the Italian Embassy with Ambassador Laura Ranalli, where the objectives of AREA Africa programme were formally presented.
Engaging National Leadership and Building Strategic Foundations
A key milestone of the mission was the meeting with Ghana’s Minister of Agriculture, Eric Opoku, who emphasized that farmers markets represent “the right project at the right moment” to reposition farmers more centrally within the agricultural value chain. This vision strongly aligned with the AREA Africa approach, which seeks to strengthen multifunctional farming systems and expand opportunities for farmers beyond production alone.
The delegation also engaged with Bright Kwadzo Demordzi, Director of the Ghana Food Programme, who highlighted critical operational challenges such as market location planning and transport constraints faced by farmers. These discussions helped identify practical entry points for strengthening future farmers’ market networks.
Further dialogue with the Peasants Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) underscored the structural challenges within existing agricultural value chains, particularly the limited bargaining power of farmers and the dominant role of intermediaries. At the same time, PFAG emphasized the transformative potential of farmers markets as spaces for fairer trade, empowerment, and knowledge exchange.
Field Visits: From Farms to Cape Coast Innovation
The mission continued in the Central Region, where the team visited pioneering farms experimenting with alternative marketing channels. These included organic and export-oriented producers such as Ekumfi Esuehyia and Amoppa Farm, which combine international fair trade exports with local supply systems and emerging university-linked markets.
In Cape Coast, the delegation engaged with the University of Cape Coast (UCC), visiting experimental farms, student agricultural plots, and research facilities. These spaces demonstrated how agriculture is integrated into education, with students actively producing crops, selling through campus channels, and participating in farmers markets.
A highlight of the visit was a farmers market held on campus, bringing together over 20 producers from the region alongside student growers. The market showcased a wide diversity of products, including cassava, pineapple, vegetables, palm oil, smoked fish, and more. This initiative illustrated a powerful model where universities act as living laboratories for food systems innovation, combining education, research, and community engagement.
The mission also included interactions with students, faculty, and local communities, as well as moments of cultural exchange that highlighted the deep connection between food, identity, and social life in Ghana.
Stakeholder Engagement and System-Level Insights
A major stakeholder workshop at UCC brought together farmers, market representatives, researchers, and public authorities to explore the future of farmers markets in the region. Discussions focused on the establishment of permanent market structures, governance models, and logistical barriers.
A recurring theme was the unequal distribution of value in current food systems, where intermediaries often capture the majority of profits, leaving farmers with limited returns. Participants widely recognized that well-structured farmers markets could help rebalance this dynamic by enabling direct sales, improving transparency, and strengthening farmers’ bargaining power.
At the same time, the discussions highlighted the potential of farmers markets as spaces for co-learning, capacity building, and diversification of rural incomes, including through value-added production and agritourism.
Expanding the Network: Civil Society and Innovation Ecosystems
In Accra, the mission engaged with leading food system innovators, including the Ghana Food Movement and the AgriHouse Foundation.
At “The Kitchen,” headquarters of the Ghana Food Movement, the team explored a dynamic social innovation space combining food preparation, education, and community engagement. The visit showcased how culinary heritage and modern entrepreneurship can be combined to transform food awareness and strengthen local value chains.
At the AgriHouse Foundation, led by Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, discussions focused on empowering women in agriculture, supporting farmers with technical tools, and developing monthly farmers markets for value-added products. The organization expressed strong interest in collaboration with WorldFMC and AREA Africa programme.
National Dialogue and Emerging Momentum
The mission concluded with high-level meetings in Greater Accra with Regional Minister Hon. Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo and the Regional Director of Agriculture, Rogatta Antwi-Baadu. These discussions confirmed a growing national momentum around farmers markets and direct marketing initiatives.
Across all regions visited, a clear pattern emerged: Ghana is actively experimenting with multiple farmers market models, from university-based systems to urban market initiatives and community-led networks. While each operates at a different scale, they share a common ambition, creating fairer, more inclusive, and more resilient food systems.
Looking Ahead
The mission in Ghana laid the groundwork for a long-term collaboration aimed at developing farmers markets as key infrastructures for sustainable agriculture. The next phase will focus on identifying national focal points, conducting an environmental scan of existing initiatives, and co-designing a roadmap to strengthen farmers market networks across the country.
As the mission demonstrated, momentum is already building. Across Ghana, farmers, institutions, and communities are converging around a shared vision: a food system where producers are empowered, value is fairly distributed, and markets become spaces of opportunity, learning, and community.
The AREA Africa programme will continue working alongside Ghanaian partners to transform this vision into lasting impact.
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The “AREA Africa Ghana project” is part of Italy’s broader international cooperation programme, developed within a balanced public–private partnership framework, under the Mattei Plan for Africa. It specifically falls within the Action for the Strengthening of Agro-Food Ecosystems in Africa (AREA), co-financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI).
CIHEAM Bari serves as the knowledge partner and implementing body for the public component, while BFI acts as the private partner. The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) is the public partner of the Project.
