Ghana—Market Development (MADE) in Northern Ghana

This project was part of DAI’s framework contract with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and was implemented by Nathan Associates UK. DAI consulted with the project on aspects of climate resilience.

FCDO Ghana’s Operational Plan proposed a focus on the North of Ghana to help bridge the development gap between the south and north of the country. As a Making Markets Work for the Poor (M4P) program, MADE was expected to improve the incomes and resilience of poor farmers and small-scale rural entrepreneurs in the Northern Savannah, with a particular focus on agricultural value chains (the full range of activities that bring a crop to the consumer).

The critical issue for increasing poverty reduction in the north is to increase economic opportunity. MADE helped risk-averse subsistence farmers enjoy the higher incomes earned by markets-oriented farmers, and address markets that help the poor, especially women, use their labor productively in off-peak periods as farmers, workers, and entrepreneurs.

Sample Activities

• Analyze markets, engage with stakeholders, identify market and stakeholders’ needs, and develop interventions and instruments for unblocking pathways out of poverty.
• Facilitate outreach of business models that increase access to input and output markets.
• Introduce climate-resilient technologies.