Trade Is Not The Final Step: How Earlier Financing Decisions Shape Markets

In discussions on food systems finance, trade is often overlooked. Yet during my work as an ITC Consultant for the development of the 2024–2029 Corporate Strategic Plan for the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), I came to see finance as the essential bridge connecting farmers and food businesses to global markets.

Throughout my consultancy, stakeholders repeatedly raised the same challenge: even when Ghanaian exporters face strong international demand, limited access to integrated and appropriate finance prevents them from scaling, meeting international standards, and sustaining market access. Previously, I viewed food systems finance primarily through the lens of production. However, insights from the Food Systems Finance e-course, combined with my professional experience, has significantly broadened this perspective. I am now more convinced than ever that food systems finance is inseparably linked to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles, shaping value chains towards sustainability, resilience, and fairness.

Under Ghana’s National Export Development Strategy (NEDS), GEPA plays a coordinating role in expanding the global reach of “Made-in-Ghana” products. This work proves that certification, value addition, and market intelligence are not isolated goals. They are connected by finance. Without capital, SMEs cannot meet ESG standards or move beyond exporting raw commodities. GEPA supports this process by building SME capacity through training, facilitating access to finance, and promoting value-added Ghanaian products at local and international exhibitions. GEPA’s strategic planning process therefore emphasized the need to move away from fragmented interventions and towards system-wide investment and coordination, convening actors such as the Ghana EXIM Bank, AfCFTA institutions, and regulatory bodies including the Food and Drugs Authority and Ghana Standards Authority.

Digitalization emerged as a critical enabler in this pursuit. Transparent data systems—such as tracing a pineapple from a Ghanaian farm to a European consumer—effectively serve as tools for de-risking. Seeing this in practice made me reflect on how information itself becomes a form of capital. When supply chains are visible and verifiable, trust increases, and investment becomes more feasible.

Drawing from both the e-course and my experience at GEPA, I believe that Ghana’s NEDS target of $25.3 billion in exports by 2029 will require four strategic shifts. First, greater emphasis on agro-processing, supported by Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), can help move beyond primary production. Second, Integrated compliance mechanisms could reduce costly shipment rejections and improve export confidence. Third, linking financing to regional sourcing under AfCFTA can strengthen regional value chains. Finally, inventory financing—including the use of digital trade documents as collateral—offers promising ways to unlock capital for goods in transit. 

What has become clear to me is that trade is not the final step in a value chain. It is actually a result of early financing decisions. When food systems are financed holistically, quality improves and markets open. Building on these insights, I am now leading Sustainability Global on a new path of integrating food systems principles into our capacity-building services for MSMEs and trade promotion organizations. By better aligning finance with trade strategy, I am hopeful that Ghana can transform export figures into lasting revenue generation and shared prosperity.