Coconut sector vital for creating sustainable livelihoods -GEPA CEO
The Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), Osafohene Dr. Afua Asabea Asare I, has emphasised the transformative role coconut is playing in job creation along coastal communities in the country, describing it as a vital pathway to a sustainable livelihood.
Speaking at the fourth International Coconut Festival Ghana (ICFG) held in Accra, she reiterated the versatile and numerous usages of coconut across industries, earning it the tag name ‘tree of life.’
“From food and beverages to cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and even construction materials, coconut is central to many value-added industries.
“The coconut sector is providing significant employment opportunities and contributing to rural development, poverty reduction, and foreign exchange earnings. Coconut is now more than just a crop in Ghana – it represents a pathway to sustainable livelihoods, innovation, and employment for thousands across the country,” she said.
In the spirit of that, the CEO reaffirmed GEPA’s commitment to building a robust coconut industry in the country.
This, the authority plans to achieve by enhancing capacity building, research, and technological advancement, ensuring that Ghanaian coconut products remain competitive and sustainable.
Dr Asabea Asare urged the public to think of coconut whenever they think of investment in agriculture and embrace innovative to drive the growth deeper.
“To maintain and expand our presence in the global market, we must embrace innovation across the value chain by adopting modern farming techniques and improved seed varieties to advanced processing technologies and creative product development,” she said.
Ghana is currently the leading coconut exporter in Currently, Africa and 12th globally, producing over 500,000 metric tonnes annually.
In 2022, the country generated US$15 billion from coconut exports, with projections to reach US$25.3 billion by 2029.
The Coconut Industry Transformation Journey
Having realised the growing demand for coconut globally, in 2017, GEPA launched the coconut revitalization intervention with a clear objective of reviving the then-ailing coconut industry to improve the supply capacity of the value chain.
The Authority has made modest but quite significant investments in the sector since 2017 by procuring and distributing disease-tolerant coconut seedlings to coconut farmers across the major coconut growing regions of the Volta, Eastern, Western, Central, and Asante.
Over a million seedlings have been distributed generating about 350,000 employments within the coconut value chain.
The coconut industry has grown into one of the most dynamic sectors, contributing significantly to the export base and touching the lives of many families and communities in positive ways.
The three-day conference, held at the Accra International Conference Center (AICC), united key stakeholders from local and international coconut value chains. It showcased the economic and health benefits of coconut, promoted investment, and created new marketing opportunities.
Held under the theme “Empowering Lives through Coconut: Innovation, Employment, and Sustainable Livelihoods,” the festival was supported by the GEPA, the Western Regional Coordinating Council (WRCC), the Tree Crop Development Authority (TCDA), and Solidaridad, the development partner.