Ghana already has farmers, extension services and locally adapted practices that could support a wider agroecological transition. Speaking at the CIRAWA Agroecology Conference in Accra, agricultural economist Professor Saa Dittoh argued that the next step is to bring these elements together through a national agroecology strategy backed by stronger domestic investment and clearer political commitment.

His intervention focused on several connected issues. He questioned greater reliance on genetically modified crops where locally adapted alternatives and traditional varieties remain available, and warned that weak domestic funding can make agricultural research priorities overly dependent on external donors. He also highlighted persistent implementation gaps in environmental protection, including wetland and mangrove degradation, and stressed their role in climate adaptation, flood protection and biodiversity conservation.

The broader message is that agroecology should be treated as a national policy framework rather than a collection of isolated practices. Dittoh called for stronger support to extension services, greater investment in locally driven research, protection of indigenous crop diversity and reduced dependence on costly external inputs. The article also underlines the importance of aligning food security, environmental restoration and farmer livelihoods within a more coherent national strategy, while ensuring that development partners support rather than determine domestic agricultural priorities.