The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is a nonprofit organization that works with partners to enhance crop quality and productivity, reduce producer and consumer risks, and generate wealth from agriculture, with the ultimate goals of reducing hunger, malnutrition, and poverty. IITA's research-for-development (R4D) focuses on addressing the development needs of tropical countries. The institute was established in 1967 and headquarters located in Ibadan, Nigeria, with several research stations spread across Africa. The organization is governed by a Board of Trustees, supported by several countries and the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).
A smallholding or smallholder is a small farm operating under a small-scale agriculture model. Definitions vary widely for what constitutes a smallholder or small-scale farm, including factors such as size, food production technique or technology, involvement of family in labor and economic impact. There are an estimated 500 million smallholder farms in developing countries of the world alone, supporting almost two billion people. Smallholdings are usually farms supporting a single family with a mixture of cash crops and subsistence farming. As a country becomes more affluent, smallholdings may not be self-sufficient. Still, they may be valued for providing supplemental sustenance, recreation, and general rural lifestyle appreciation. As the sustainable food and local food movements grow in affluent countries, some of these smallholdings are gaining increased economic viability in the developed world as well.
Agriculture is a major sector of the Nigerian economy, accounting for up to 35% of total employment in 2020. According to the FAO, agriculture remains the foundation of the Nigerian economy, providing livelihood for most Nigerians and generating millions of jobs. Along with crude oil, Nigeria relies on the agricultural products it exports to generate most of its national revenue. The agricultural sector in Nigeria comprises four sub-sectors: crop production, livestock, forestry, and fishing.
The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) is an All India Development Financial Institution (DFI) and an apex Supervisory Body for overall supervision of Regional Rural Banks, State Cooperative Banks and District Central Cooperative Banks in India. It was established under the NABARD Act 1981 passed by the Parliament of India. It is fully owned by Government of India and functions under the Department of Financial Services (DFS) under the Ministry of Finance.
The history of agriculture in India dates back to the Neolithic period. India ranks second worldwide in farm outputs. As per the Indian economic survey 2020 -21, agriculture employed more than 50% of the Indian workforce and contributed 20.2% to the country's GDP.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, formerly the Ministry of Agriculture, is a branch of the Government of India and the apex body for formulation and administration of the rules and regulations and laws related to agriculture in India. The three broad areas of scope for the Ministry are agriculture, food processing and co-operation. The agriculture ministry is headed by Minister of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare which is currently held by Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Kailash Choudhary and Shobha Karandlaje are the Ministers of State. Sharad Pawar, serving from 22 May 2004 to 26 May 2014, has held the office of Minister of Agriculture for the longest continuous period till date.
Agriculture in Ghana consists of a variety of agricultural products and is an established economic sector, providing employment on a formal and informal basis. It is represented by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. Ghana produces a variety of crops in various climatic zones which range from dry savanna to wet forest which run in east–west bands across Ghana. Agricultural crops, including yams, grains, cocoa, oil palms, kola nuts, and timber, form the base of agriculture in Ghana's economy. In 2013 agriculture employed 53.6% of the total labor force in Ghana.
Eusebius Juma Mukhwana is the past president of the African agricultural NGOs Network based in Ghana. He is also a recipient of the Kenyan head of state commendation (HSC) for his role in assisting farmers to improve their food security and income. He has dedicated much of his life and work to the plight of small scale farmers. Mukhwana is also the founder of the SACRED Africa.
Agriculture in Cameroon is an industry that has plenty of potential.
Agricultural Development Bank of Ghana, commonly known as Agricultural Development Bank or ADB, is a government-owned development and commercial bank in Ghana. The bank is the first development finance institution established by the Government of Ghana. It is the developmental finance institution that provides technical and financial services to agribusiness, farmers, and other enterprises at the rural communities. It is one of the commercial banks licensed by the Bank of Ghana, the national banking regulator.
The Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology is a Nigerian ministry whose mission is to facilitate the development and deployment of science and technology apparatus to enhance the pace of socio-economic development of the country through appropriate technological inputs into productive activities in the nation. It is headed by a Minister appointed by the President, assisted by a Permanent Secretary, who is a career civil servant. President Bola Tinubu, GCFR on 16 August 2023 appointed Uche Nnaji as the Minister of Science and Technology. Mr James Sule, mni is the current permanent secretary in the ministry.
AGRA,formerly known as the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa is an African-led African-based organization that seeks to catalyse Agriculture Transformation in Africa. AGRA is focused on putting smallholder farmers at the centre of the continent's growing economy by transforming agriculture from a solitary struggle to survive into farming as a business that thrives. As the sector that employs the majority of Africa's people, nearly all of them small-scale farmers, AGRA recognizes that developing smallholder agriculture into a productive, efficient, and sustainable system is essential to ensuring food security, lifting millions out of poverty, and driving equitable growth across the continent.
National Investment Bank, normally abbreviated to NIB, is a state owned commercial bank in Ghana. It is one of the commercial banks licensed by the Bank of Ghana, the national banking regulator. NIB was form to promote industrialization of all sectors in the country. It has undergone management and financial restructure to help it attain higher financial levels across the world.
The Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP) was a national five-year plan created by the Ethiopian government to improve the country's economy by achieving a projected gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 11-15% per year from 2010 to 2015. The plan included details of the cost and specific targets the government expects to hit by pursuing the following objectives.
The Nigerian Capital Development Fund (NCDF) is an organization dedicated to impact investing and promoting economic development in Nigeria. Established with the aim of fostering a resilient entrepreneurial ecosystem, NCDF provides essential support, capital, and resources to entrepreneurs, start-ups, and early-stage businesses. The organization's efforts are focused on facilitating job creation, product development, market expansion, and overall economic growth within the country.
Owusu Afriyie Akoto is a Ghanaian agricultural economist and politician. He is a member of the New Patriotic Party and was a Member of Parliament for the Kwadaso Constituency from 2009 to 2017. He was a cabinet minister in the Nana Akufo-Addo administration and served as Minister of Food and Agriculture of Ghana. He resigned on 10 January 2023 to focus on his presidential ambition. He holds MSc and PHD Degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Cambridge, England.
Frimpong Yaw Addo is a Ghanaian politician and member of the Seventh Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana and Eight parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana representing the Manso Adubia constituency in the Ashanti Region on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). He is currently the Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture.
Desmond De-Graft Paitoo is a Ghanaian politician who currently serves as the Member of Parliament for the Gomoa East Constituency.
Agriculture makes up a significant proportion of the Gambia's economy, comprising 25% of its GDP. About 75% of workers in the Gambia are employed within the agricultural industry. The main cash crops produced in the country are groundnuts, millet, sorghum, mangoes, corn, sesame, palm kernel, and cashews. The main staple crop produced is rice.
Ghana became a party to the UNFCCC in September 1995, and ratified the Paris Agreement in September 2016. As a party to the Paris Agreement, Ghana is expected to develop a National Adaptation Plan, that outlines strategies the country is taking to adjust to the changing climatic conditions.
