Empowering Agricultural Policy in Africa

From Tuesday, July 22, to Friday, July 25, 2025, an AgriPolicy Toolkit training session was held in Sogakope, located in the Volta Region of Ghana. This training was designed to equip participants with the skills and knowledge necessary for effective policy formulation and implementation, with a focus on strengthening policy decisions and their impact on the rice and cashew sectors. The AgriPolicy Toolkit includes over 150 practical policy instruments for evidence-based policymaking.

Bringing Together Change-Makers Across Africa

The 4-day training brought together 63 policymakers, key private sector actors in the cashew and rice value chains, and representatives from women and youth groups across 9 African countries: Senegal, Burkina Faso, Mozambique, Tanzania, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ghana. The objective was to explore what drives transformative change in agricultural policy, understand how policy processes unfold and how to shape them, build meaningful networks across the continent, engage with diverse stakeholder perspectives, apply practical tools to facilitate inclusive policy dialogue, and use the AgriPolicy Toolkit to reflect on policy instruments and implementation strategies.

“There is often a gap between policy intentions and real-life impact. This training offers skills and introduces a toolkit that helps policymakers and influencers bridge this gap through critical analysis, inclusive policymaking, and effective implementation,” said Madam Beate Weiskopf, GIZ/MOVE-ComCashew Programme Leader at the opening ceremony. The opening ceremony was also graced by Mr. André Tandjiekpon, Executive Secretary of CICC; Mr. Solomon Gyan Ansah, Director of Crop Services, MoFA, Ghana; and Mr. Yaw Adu Poku, Chairman of CARP Ghana.

 

Interactive Sessions and Case-Based Learning

Participants applied tools and knowledge acquired to policy strategies in the rice and cashew sectors through engaging working group sessions. Each subgroup used specific strategies as case studies and applied the policy cycle framework to identify considerations that should be considered when shaping policies for these sectors. Before the group activities, Mr. Hamzat Olawale, a technical advisor from GIZ/MOVE, provided an overview of the ECOWAS Rice Roadmap for 2025–2035, a strategic initiative designed to achieve self-sufficiency in rice production throughout West Africa. Ms. Susana Yohuno from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture of Ghana (MoFA) introduced participants to the Ghana Tree Crops Policy, which focused on establishing a competitive and environmentally sustainable industry that will drive significant economic growth. In the days that followed, Ms Ernestina Amponsah from GIZ/MOVE provided an insightful analysis of the global cashew industry, stressing the critical need for increased local processing.

Following the introduction to various policy implementation instruments, participants explored an online compendium of agri-food policy tools, which includes over 150 different instruments.

 

Policy Meets Reality: The Field Experience

To deepen their understanding, participants went on a field trip that provided an opportunity to engage directly with value chain actors and gain firsthand insight into real-world challenges requiring policy attention. These discussions allowed participants to reflect on sector challenges, proposed solutions and recommendations for policymakers. Rice stakeholders visited the Weta Irrigation Scheme, Brazil Agro and FYSSO rice mills and cashew stakeholders visited USIBRAS Ghana and Iribov Ghana.

Participants’ reflections on the field trip underscored its success. Mr. Tunde Asimiyu Awoyoola from Nigeria noted that the challenges faced by the factory visited during the field trip were like those in Nigeria. He emphasized the importance of involving government representatives in such trainings so they can gain firsthand insight, analyze sector challenges, and better understand how to support effective policy implementation.

Mr. Sanou Abdoul Karim from Burkina Faso:“It was a real pleasure to participate in this training course on agricultural policy development. The AgriPolicy Toolkit, which we particularly appreciated, will be very useful in the policy formulation process. I would like to warmly thank GIZ for organizing this enriching training, which will undoubtedly help us contribute more effectively to future agricultural policy development.”

Mr. Aneefi Appiah Greggory from Ghana:“The training introduced the AgriPolicy Tool Kit for drafting agricultural policies and provided insights into the ECOWAS rice roadmap (2025-2035), emphasizing regional collaboration for rice sufficiency. It also facilitated networking with stakeholders in the rice sector across Africa.”

 

The GIZ/MOVE project is co-funded by the European Union under the Samoa agreement with the OACPS and by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by GIZ.