Strengthening Ghana's circular economy innovation ecosystem for climate-resilient agriculture

The Consultation Workshop Strengthening Ghana’s Circular Economy Innovation Ecosystem for Climate-Resilient Agriculture was organized by the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT through the CGIAR Accelerate for Impact Platform (A4IP) in collaboration with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and the Circular Bioeconomy Innovation Hub with support from the CGIAR Multifunctional Landscapes and Food Frontiers and Security Science Programs. The workshop convened over 100 stakeholders from Ghana’s agri-food, circular economy, climate, and innovation ecosystems to collectively shape the design and priority areas for the CircularEconomy4Ghana Innovation Challenge. The CircularEconomy4Ghana Innovation Challenge is envisioned as an integrated platform to accelerate the development and adoption of circular, technology driven solutions. Through fostering multi-stakeholder collaboration, the workshop aimed to ensure the challenge supports context-specific, affordable, sustainable innovations that address Ghana’s structural agricultural constraints and market opportunities.
The workshop findings underscored a strong consensus that Ghana’s transition is hindered not by a lack of innovation but by systemic barriers, primarily characterized by institutional fragmentation and weak coordination between government agencies, research institutions, and the private sector. Participants identified critical infrastructure gaps in waste segregation and processing that limit the availability of organic waste for valorization, alongside persistent research-to-market barriers that prevent scientific solutions from reaching smallholder farmers and SMEs. These challenges are further compounded by acute financing constraints, where a lack of patient capital and limited financial-sector capacity to assess circular business models continue to restrict the innovation lifecycle.