The African Women in Agribusiness (AWIA) and the African Women in Animal Resource Farming and Agribusiness Network (AWARFA-N) Ghana have joined forces to develop and advocate for a comprehensive biosecurity and bio-certification framework.
In partnership with the Sustainable Employment through Agribusiness (AgriBiz) – a programme by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and other stakeholders in the agricultural sector, the event seeks to strengthen biosecurity in Ghana’s poultry, piggery and aquaculture sectors.
The initiative also aims to support the establishment of regulatory structures that will improve biosecurity protocols and certify farms meeting these standards, paving the way for greater food safety, environmental health and economic growth within these vital sectors. It marks a milestone in the journey toward implementing this biosecurity and bio-certification framework.
An Agribusiness Consultant, Joseph Wise Seyram Klu, in a presentation on research findings on the status of biosecurity and bio-certification, mentioned that major strides have been taken to boost biosecurity in Ghana’s poultry, piggery and aquaculture sectors, with the development and validation of new guidelines and training manuals.
“Biosecurity guidelines and training manuals for poultry, piggery and aquaculture have been developed and validated. The FAO is implementing a Progressive Management Pathway for Terrestrial Animal Biosecurity in poultry, piggery and aquaculture,”he highlighted.
According to Mr. Klu, the lack of national biosecurity plans for livestock and aquaculture, producers showing moderate awareness and compliance being low due to insufficient enforcement mechanisms were discovered.
He said a farm audit checklist is currently absent; however, there is a need for frameworks that align international standards with local conditions.
The framework provides essential guidance for the adoption of biosecurity standards that protect animal health, secure food safety and promote environmentally sustainable practices across the industry.
Mr. Klu revealed that the poultry, piggery and aquaculture industries in Ghana face significant challenges in maintaining high biosecurity standards essential for protecting animal health and safeguarding public health.
Ghana’s livestock and aquaculture sectors face significant challenges in implementing a bio-certification scheme. These obstacles include financial constraints for smallholder farmers, inadequate legal frameworks, difficulties in standardising protocols and a shortage of trained personnel.
“The domestic livestock and agriculture industry is facing some challenges in implementing the bio-certification scheme such as the financial burden on farmers – especially smallholder farmers, lack of modern legal framework to support the livestock and aquaculture biosecurity framework and the difficulty in implementing a one-size-fits-all protocol for all farmers,”he stated.
He said other challenges include inadequate qualified personnel to train farmers and stakeholders in biosecurity and a potential resistance to change by farmers due to lack of awareness or misinformation as well as the lack of a national biosecurity plan that recognises legal and institutional framework, risk assessment and hazard identification.
The biosecurity and bio-certification framework was developed through an inclusive approach, engaging local communities, farmers’ associations, government bodies and international partners.
He urged stakeholders to work on next steps to establish sustainable, certified practices that ensure the long-term strength of Ghana’s livestock and aquaculture industries.
