IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/fpr/gsspwp/49.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

A blue revolution in sub-Saharan Africa? Evidence from Ghana’s tilapia value chain

Author

Listed:
  • Ragasa, Catherine
  • Andam, Kwaw S.
  • Kufoalor, Doreen S.
  • Amewu, Sena

Abstract

Global growth in aquaculture is underway – a “blue revolution†featuring rapid increases in demand for fish and a corresponding surge in aquaculture production. This paper describes the fast-growing tilapia value chain in Ghana to demonstrate the features of a nascent blue revolution in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and to illustrate its potential for job creation and reducing poverty and food insecurity there. Tilapia production has been growing at 15 percent annually in SSA, but imports are also surging to satisfy the growing appetite for tilapia. This paper illustrates how aquaculture can grow sustainably in SSA within the context of growing demand and global competition. A value chain analysis is conducted using secondary data analysis, desk reviews of experiences and lessons from other countries, interviews with 95 actors in the tilapia value chain in Ghana, and detailed production and profitability data from Ghanaian tilapia farmers. A profitable farmed tilapia industry has been established in Ghana with the potential to expand supply to satisfy local demand and to export to neighboring countries. Productivity in the industry has grown mainly through reducing the mortality rates of fingerlings and improvements in the supply of locally-produced high-quality fish feed. Feed costs remain high. However, there is potential to reduce those costs by improving the productivity of crops that are used in fish feed, particularly maize and soybean. Reducing local feed costs will have positive spillover effects on both other pond-based aquaculture systems and on the livestock feed sector. Moreover, Ghana can expand it fish feed production to be an important source of feed within SSA. The industry can further increase aquaculture productivity through the adoption of faster-growing fish strains and better management practices. Ghana’s aquaculture sector could grow even faster by adopting lessons from other countries, including on infrastructure provision, fiscal incentives for the production of fish feed ingredients, and sustainable fish farming practices, particularly through paying close attention to water and feed quality and addressing food safety concerns within the sector.

Suggested Citation

  • Ragasa, Catherine & Andam, Kwaw S. & Kufoalor, Doreen S. & Amewu, Sena, 2018. "A blue revolution in sub-Saharan Africa? Evidence from Ghana’s tilapia value chain," GSSP working papers 49, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
  • Handle: RePEc:fpr:gsspwp:49
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://hdl.handle.net/10568/146065
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Courbois, Claude & Delgado, Christopher L. & Ehui, Simeon K. & Rosegrant, Mark W. & Steinfeld, Henning, 1999. "Livestock to 2020: the next food revolution," 2020 vision briefs 61, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    2. Eltholth, Mahmoud & Fornace, Kimberly & Grace, Delia & Rushton, Jonathan & Häsler, Barbara, 2015. "Characterisation of production, marketing and consumption patterns of farmed tilapia in the Nile Delta of Egypt," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 131-143.
    3. Brummett, Randall E. & Lazard, Jérôme & Moehl, John, 2008. "African aquaculture: Realizing the potential," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(5), pages 371-385, October.
    4. Dey, Madan M. & Spielman, David J. & Haque, A.B.M.M. & Rahman, M.S. & Valmonte-Santos, R., 2013. "Change and diversity in smallholder rice–fish systems: Recent evidence and policy lessons from Bangladesh," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 108-117.
    5. Yaw B. Ansah & Emmanuel A. Frimpong & Eric M. Hallerman, 2014. "Genetically-Improved Tilapia Strains in Africa: Potential Benefits and Negative Impacts," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(6), pages 1-25, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Tristan Le Cotty & Bruno Dorin, 2012. "A global foresight on food crop needs for livestock," Post-Print hal-00800715, HAL.
    2. Gómez, Miguel I. & Ricketts, Katie D., 2013. "Food value chain transformations in developing countries: Selected hypotheses on nutritional implications," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 139-150.
    3. Olson, Kent & Gauto, Victor & Erenstein, Olaf & Teufel, Nils & Swain, Braja & Tui, Sabine Homann-Kee & Duncan, Alan, 2021. "Estimating Farmers’ Internal Value of Crop Residues in Smallholder Crop-Livestock Systems: A South Asia Case Study," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315188, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    4. Keil, Alwin & Saint-Macary, Camille & Zeller, Manfred, 2013. "Intensive Commercial Agriculture in Fragile Uplands of Vietnam: How to Harness its Poverty Reduction Potential while Ensuring Environmental Sustainability?," Quarterly Journal of International Agriculture, Humboldt-Universitaat zu Berlin, vol. 52(01), pages 1-25, February.
    5. Yu, Wusheng & Hertel, Thomas W. & Preckel, Paul V. & Eales, James S., 2004. "Projecting world food demand using alternative demand systems," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 99-129, January.
    6. Mohammed H. Alemu & Søren Bøye Olsen & Suzanne E. Vedel & John Kinyuru & Kennedy O. Pambo, 2016. "Integrating sensory evaluations in incentivized discrete choice experiments to assess consumer demand for cricket flour buns in Kenya," IFRO Working Paper 2016/02, University of Copenhagen, Department of Food and Resource Economics.
    7. Shikuku, Kelvin M. & Valdivia, Roberto O. & Paul, Birthe K. & Mwongera, Caroline & Winowiecki, Leigh & Läderach, Peter & Herrero, Mario & Silvestri, Silvia, 2017. "Prioritizing climate-smart livestock technologies in rural Tanzania: A minimum data approach," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 204-216.
    8. Domínguez-May, Roger & Poot-López, Gaspar R. & Hernández, Juan & Gasca-Leyva, Eucario, 2020. "Dynamic optimal ration size in tilapia culture: Economic and environmental considerations," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 420(C).
    9. Leakey, Roger & Kranjac-Berisavljevic, Gordana & Caron, Patrick & Craufurd, Peter & Martin, Adrienne M. & McDonald, Andy & Abedini, Walter & Afiff, Suraya & Bakurin, Ndey & Bass, Steve & Hilbeck, Ange, 2009. "Impacts of AKST on development and sustainability goals," Book Chapters,, International Water Management Institute.
    10. Jaleta, Moti & Kassie, Menale & Shiferaw, Bekele A., 2012. "Tradeoffs in Crop Residue Utilization in Mixed Crop-Livestock Systems and Implications for Conservation Agriculture and Sustainable Land Management," 2012 Conference, August 18-24, 2012, Foz do Iguacu, Brazil 126282, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    11. Thilsted, Shakuntala Haraksingh & Thorne-Lyman, Andrew & Webb, Patrick & Bogard, Jessica Rose & Subasinghe, Rohana & Phillips, Michael John & Allison, Edward Hugh, 2016. "Sustaining healthy diets: The role of capture fisheries and aquaculture for improving nutrition in the post-2015 era," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 126-131.
    12. Seamus Murphy & Diksha Arora & Froukje Kruijssen & Cynthia McDougall & Paula Kantor, 2020. "Gender-based market constraints to informal fish retailing: Evidence from analysis of variance and linear regression," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(3), pages 1-16, March.
    13. Sotsha, Kayalethu & Fakudze, Bhekiwe & Myeki, Lindikaya & Ngqangweni, Simphiwe & Nyhodo, Bonani & Ngetu, Xolile & Mazibuko, Ndumiso & Lubinga, H. Moses & Khoza, Thulisile & Ntshangase, Thandeka & Mmbe, 2017. "Factors influencing communal livestock farmers' participation into the National Red Meat Development Programme (NRMDP) in South Africa: the case of the Eastern Cape Province," NAMC Publications 263686, National Agricultural Marketing Council.
    14. Popkin, Barry M. & Horton, Susan & Kim, Soowon, 2001. "The nutritional transition and diet-related chronic diseases in Asia: implications for prevention," FCND discussion papers 105, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    15. Ngoc-Ninh Ho & Truong Lam Do & Dinh-Thao Tran & Trung Thanh Nguyen, 2022. "Indigenous pig production and welfare of ultra-poor ethnic minority households in the Northern mountains of Vietnam," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 156-179, January.
    16. Ludena, Carlos E., 2004. "Impact Of Productivity Growth In Crops And Livestock On World Food Trade Patterns," 2004 Annual meeting, August 1-4, Denver, CO 20366, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    17. repec:osf:socarx:pbdkg_v1 is not listed on IDEAS
    18. Griffith, Garry R. & Parnell, Peter F. & McKiernan, William A., 2005. "The Economic, Environmental and Social Benefits to NSW from Investment in the CRC for Beef Genetics Technologies," Research Reports 42654, New South Wales Department of Primary Industries Research Economists.
    19. Wisdom Akpalu & Worku T. Bitew, 2017. "Externalities and foreign capital in aquaculture production in developing countries," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2017-1, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    20. Yu, Wusheng & Hertel, Thomas W. & Preckel, Paul V. & Eales, James S., 2004. "Projecting world food demand using alternative demand systems," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 99-129, January.
    21. Brummett, Randall E. & Gockowski, James & Pouomogne, Victor & Muir, James, 2011. "Targeting agricultural research and extension for food security and poverty alleviation: A case study of fish farming in Central Cameroon," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(6), pages 805-814.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:fpr:gsspwp:49. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: the person in charge (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/ifprius.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.