UNSGSA Queen Máxima visits Ghanaian agribusinesses, showing how local markets can strengthen food security

Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, in her capacity as the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Financial Health (UNSGSA), today visited Ghanaian agribusinesses working with IDH Ghana to see how locally led enterprises are connecting smallholder farmers to markets, finance and decent jobs. The visit highlights IDH Ghana’s approach to strengthening agricultural markets: working with businesses and public and private partners to address barriers that prevent farmers and agribusinesses from growing. By helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) aggregate, process, and sell what farmers grow, IDH supports stronger commercial relationships across value chains and creates more reliable opportunities for rural communities whilst improving the financial health of rural households.

The approach is particularly relevant as Ghana seeks to strengthen domestic food production and make agricultural value chains more resilient. Increased production alone cannot guarantee better incomes or a more secure food supply; farmers also need reliable buyers, businesses need access to finance and produce needs routes to market and processing capacity. “Ghana’s agricultural opportunity is not only about growing more food; it is about building the markets that allow farmers and businesses to thrive,” said Robert Asugre, Country Director IDH Ghana. “By connecting smallholders to buyers, finance and enterprises that can aggregate and process their produce, we can help turn agricultural potential into more dependable incomes, jobs and stronger local food systems. ” Three Ghanaian businesses, one shared challenge FarmMate , a wholly Ghanaian-owned agricultural value-chain company founded in 2022, works with tomato farmers to improve access to seeds, inputs,…