Ghana is working to transform its coffee sector into a sustainable and value-driven industry, Dr. Isaac Manu, Director of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation at the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), has said.
Speaking at the launch of the 2025 Coffee Week, Dr. Manu described coffee as “an important sister crop to cocoa and a vital part of our national development, national agricultural development diversification agenda.
Dr. Manu said revitalising coffee is about more than production. “It is just not about coffee production, but it’s about developing the entire coffee value chain and also to enhance the full potential of the commodity on which millions of livelihoods will depend,” he said.
He highlighted interventions by the COCOBOD, including supplying “about 1 million seedlings to farmers every year, supporting research into disease tolerant and resilient varieties, training farmers on good agronomic practises, encouraging youth and women participation in promotion of coffee as a viable agribusiness venture and working with both the private sector to strengthen local processing and value additions.”
Dr. Manu urged all stakeholders to collaborate, saying, “No single entity here can transform the coffee sector in Ghana. We need the active involvement of every partner… to revitalise this coffee sector.”
He noted that it is expedient to “be inspired to push further, to expand acreages responsibly, to promote sustainable farming practises, to protect our environment and to ensure that the gains along the value chain translates into improved livelihood for our dear farmers.”