Accra: Farmers in Ghana dedicated to organic cultivation face challenges in differentiating their produce from conventionally grown alternatives, leading to competition within the same market. This situation prevents organic producers from accessing lucrative premium markets in Europe and North America, where certified organic products can command price premiums of 20 to 40 percent.
According to Ghana Web, the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), in partnership with the German Development Cooperation (GIZ), organized a stakeholder engagement in Accra to advance the establishment of Ghana's first nationally-managed 'Organic Certification Scheme'. This initiative aims to correct the current market inequalities and position Ghanaian organic products more competitively on the global stage.
The global organic food and beverage market was valued at over US$220 billion in 2024 and is projected to surpass US$380 billion by 2030. Europe, a significant consumer, represents more than a third of this market, with the EU's 'Farm to Fork Strategy' targeting 25 percent of all agricultural land under organic production by the end of the decade.
The project, supported by a robust testing and conformity assessment framework, is officially entering its final phase before implementation. The GSA certification is built on international standard ISO/IEC 17065 and aligns with the European Union's Organic Regulation 2018/848. It covers crops, horticultural products, fruit, and vegetables, key commodities in Ghana's agricultural export identity.
GSA Director-General Prof. George Agyei emphasized the importance of certification as a "passport" in international trade, highlighting that credible, traceable, and internationally recognized certification is essential. He noted that the initiative is backed by significant investments in laboratory testing infrastructure and technical capacity, following a strategic visit to Indocert in Kerala, India, in March 2025.
Eunice Agyeiwah Agyepong, Component Head-Invest for Jobs programme at GIZ Ghana, representing GIZ, pointed out that many businesses currently rely on costly foreign certification bodies. This practice effectively prices smallholder farmers out of the markets their labor sustains, underscoring the importance of the national organic certification scheme.