Doing it right to alleviate poverty: application of the sustainable food value chain development framework to Ghana’s poultry sector

Abstract

Some international organizations and civil society activists are blaming exporting countries of frozen chicken products for the underdevelopment of the domestic poultry sectors in developing nations. However, concrete evidence that supports or rejects these criticisms is missing. Against this background, this study was conducted to examine the performance of Ghana’s poultry sector by employing quantitative and qualitative methods. Results of our study highlight the poor economic, social, and environmental performance of the Ghanaian poultry sector. Moreover, weak vertical and horizontal coordination among actors in the value chain in addition to low commitment from supporting stakeholders emerge as the root causes of the challenges the sector faces. We propose an integrated set of sustainable solutions to support the development and growth of Ghana’s poultry value chain. Besides, continuous mutual cooperation is required from all actors and stakeholders in the value chain who operate in transparency and trust.