Ghana launched an intensive push for Dutch agricultural investment at the Netherlands-Ghana Business and Tourism Expo 2025, which opened Thursday at The Hague University of Applied Sciences with government officials promising policy reforms to attract European partners into the country’s food production sector.
The three-day expo, running from September 18-20 under the theme “Partnership for Growth: Trade, Innovation and Sustainability,” brings together business leaders, policymakers, and investors to deepen economic collaboration between the two nations with over 300 years of shared history.
Ghana’s Ambassador to the Netherlands, Francis Danti Kotia, positioned the event as a strategic platform for expanding cooperation as Ghana leverages its role within the African Continental Free Trade Area to attract international investment. The ambassador emphasized that agriculture remains fundamental to Ghana’s economy and national development vision under President John Dramani Mahama’s administration.
Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture John Dumelo, who was sworn into office on March 13, 2025, delivered the keynote address welcoming Dutch investors prepared to commit to Ghana’s agricultural transformation. The former actor and current Member of Parliament for Ayawaso West Wuogon represents a new generation of political leaders bridging entertainment and policy-making.
The expo comes as Ghana implements the Presidential Initiatives in Agriculture and Agribusiness, which includes three core programs: the Feed Ghana Programme, the Feed the Industry Programme, and Agriculture Investment and Infrastructure Development. These initiatives have already launched the School Farm Initiative as part of the government’s comprehensive agricultural modernization strategy.
Dumelo emphasized the Mahama administration’s commitment to achieving food sufficiency within its four-year constitutional mandate while simultaneously increasing food exports, particularly to the Netherlands. The timeline reflects ambitious targets for agricultural transformation that require substantial foreign investment and technology transfer to achieve.
The timing proves strategic as Ghana seeks to diversify its economy amid ongoing fiscal challenges. The government’s renewed emphasis on agriculture as a vehicle for economic transformation aligns with global trends toward food security and sustainable agricultural practices that Dutch companies have pioneered.
Ambassador Kotia highlighted the conducive policy environment Ghana is creating to facilitate strategic partnerships that unlock value across the entire agricultural chain, from farms to markets. The approach emphasizes inclusive and sustainable growth principles that appeal to European investors focused on environmental and social governance criteria.
The Netherlands brings significant expertise in sustainable farming, agro-processing technology, and innovative agricultural practices that could accelerate Ghana’s agricultural modernization. Dutch companies have established global leadership in greenhouse cultivation, precision agriculture, and sustainable food production systems that align with Ghana’s development objectives.
For Dutch investors, Ghana’s agricultural sector offers opportunities in a market with growing domestic demand and export potential within the AfCFTA framework. The continental free trade agreement provides access to a combined market of over 1.3 billion consumers, making Ghana an attractive entry point for European companies targeting African markets.
The expo’s focus on innovation and sustainability reflects global agricultural trends toward climate-smart farming, digital agriculture, and sustainable supply chain development. These areas represent natural collaboration opportunities between Dutch technological expertise and Ghana’s agricultural resources and favorable climate conditions.
Ghana’s agricultural sector employs approximately 44% of the country’s workforce, underscoring the potential impact of successful Dutch investment partnerships on employment creation and rural development. The sector’s transformation could significantly contribute to poverty reduction and economic diversification objectives.
The three-day format allows for comprehensive engagement including business-to-business networking, policy dialogue, and project-specific discussions that could generate concrete investment commitments. Previous editions have resulted in memorandums of understanding and joint venture agreements between Ghanaian and Dutch companies.
Success in attracting Dutch agricultural investment could establish a model for broader European engagement with Ghana’s economy, particularly in sectors where European expertise complements Ghanaian resources and market opportunities.
The expo represents Ghana’s systematic approach to international investment attraction, moving beyond general promotional activities toward sector-specific, partnership-focused engagement that addresses specific development challenges while creating business opportunities for international partners.
For the Mahama administration, successful outcomes from the expo could demonstrate the effectiveness of its economic diplomacy and provide momentum for broader agricultural sector transformation initiatives that form core components of the government’s development agenda.
Source: newsghana.com.gh
