Ghana - Country fact sheet on food and agriculture policy trends

Ghana is a middle-income West African country which experienced impressive economic growth from 2005 to 2012. This growth has slowed significantly since 2013 in light of macro-economic challenges, such as high budget deficit and inflation, but is still expected to remain positive, due to the country’s stable democratic institutions and rich natural resources.1 Per capita GDP reached US$ 1 858 in 2013, and the Human Development Index improved as access to health care and education increased, making Ghana one of the few ‘medium human development’ countries in the region. Ghana halved extreme poverty from 36.5 percent to 18.2 percent between 1991 and 2006, achieving one of the best records in sub-Saharan Africa. Furthermore, Ghana has met the Millennium Development Goal of halving poverty and hunger before 2015 (MDG1).2 Nevertheless, over a quarter of the population still remains below the poverty line of US$ 1.25/day, particularly in the Northern regions. Agriculture is a key sector of Ghana’s economy, accounting for 23 percent of the national GDP in 2012. The sector