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Agriculture for Sustainable Development: A SWOT-AHP Assessment of Ghana’s Planting for Food and Jobs Initiative

Author

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  • Ernest Baba Ali

    (Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University for Development Studies, P.O. Box TL, Tamale 1350, Ghana)

  • Ephraim Bonah Agyekum

    (Department of Nuclear and Renewable Energy, Ural Federal University Named after the First President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin, 62002, 19 Mira street, 620002 Ekaterinburg, Russia)

  • Parise Adadi

    (Department of Food Science, University of Otago, 9054 Dunedin, New Zealand)

Abstract

The exponential increase in the population of Ghana and the need to meet the population’s food security needs while creating job opportunities have necessitated the implementation of the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) initiative by the Government of Ghana (GoG). Using the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analytical tool, we SWOT of the PFJ initiative. We further complemented the study with the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) tool to rank the various criteria (factors) identified under the SWOT analysis. The study identified favorable environmental conditions as the highest strength, which recorded 59.3%, followed by agricultural lands availability (21.8%). Inadequate of financial services was identified as the highest weakness (55.8%), followed by over-reliance on climatic conditions (25.9%). High export potential relative to agricultural products in the country was identified as the highest opportunity, which recorded a weight of 50.3%. The One District One Factory (1D1F) initiative came up as the second highest opportunity. Negative ramification of climate change was identified as the main threat to Ghana’s agricultural sector (57.9%), followed by the importation of basic food products (25%).

Suggested Citation

  • Ernest Baba Ali & Ephraim Bonah Agyekum & Parise Adadi, 2021. "Agriculture for Sustainable Development: A SWOT-AHP Assessment of Ghana’s Planting for Food and Jobs Initiative," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-24, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:2:p:628-:d:478310
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    Cited by:

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    2. Agyekum, Ephraim Bonah & Amjad, Fahd & Mohsin, Muhammad & Ansah, Michael Nii Sanka, 2021. "A bird's eye view of Ghana's renewable energy sector environment: A Multi-Criteria Decision-Making approach," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    3. Retno Agustarini & Yetti Heryati & Yelin Adalina & Wahyu Catur Adinugroho & Dhany Yuniati & Rizki Ary Fambayun & Gerhard Eli Sabastian & Asep Hidayat & Hesti Lestari Tata & William Ingram & Aulia Perd, 2022. "The Development of Indigofera spp. as a Source of Natural Dyes to Increase Community Incomes on Timor Island, Indonesia," Economies, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-30, February.
    4. Yeboah, Samuel, 2023. "Unlocking the Potential of Technological Innovations for Sustainable Agriculture in Developing Countries: Enhancing Resource Efficiency and Environmental Sustainability," MPRA Paper 118216, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 04 Aug 2023.

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