“Taking the Pips”

Trade Injustice and Ghanaian Tomato Farmers

What’s the issue?

Tomato farming in Ghana is a vital livelihood. They are an important crop in Ghana, especially in northern Ghana where they are cultivated during the dry season near water sources. Demand for tomatoes in West Africa is huge yet tomato farmers’ livelihoods in Ghana are being destroyed.  Local markets are full of fresh tomatoes during tomato season so farmers have to sell their produce cheap and much of their crop is left to rot. It is estimated that 50% of Ghanaian tomatoes rot or sell at below production cost.

One answer has been to sell the fresh produce to the local canning factory who process it into tinned tomatoes. Yet today the factories are closed and cheap, heavily subsidised imports have flooded the market. It is cheaper to buy imported tinned tomatoes than the local product. In 10 years imported tinned tomatoes from the EU have increased by over 600%. Originally it was Italian tomatoes, now it is a Chinese concentrate sold by an American multinational and marketed as Italian. The concentrate is a paste mixed with sugars, starches and chemicals. Surely international organisations would want to support a more healthy, locally sourced option for a ‘developing country’ like Ghana.

Yet it is the World Trade Organisation’s rules that ban Ghana from putting taxes on imports or giving subsidies (financial support) to their own farmers that  Ghanaian tomato farmers are caught in a vicious cycle. Farmers are not able to sell enough of their produce at a fair price so they are going into debt and then can’t sell enough of their crop to recover. The plight of the tomato farmers has led to indebtedness, increased poverty and even suicide.

What is African initiatives doing?

African Initiatives has been working with farmers in northern Ghana for 12 years and we have built up relationships with a number of committed local organisations.  We have also produced and distributed a powerful short documentary examining the plight of the Tomato farmers which is accessible through the links below. The film has been shown locally in Bristol as well as further afield. In fact it has even reached Holland where some Dutch MPs actually raised the question in parliament. Other possible future actions include:

1. Increasing the sustainable production and transportation capacity of tomato farmers in northern and central Ghana
2. Raising the awareness of tomato farmers through political and economic literacy and strengthening their organisations so they will lead the way to change.
3. Campaign in the UK and EU alongside other organisations and make connections with other farmer groups in Ghana—poultry and rice who are suffering similar problems under the current trade practices.
4. Establish and support strong links between farmers and tomato processing factories in Ghana.  If farmers can sell to local factories for processing into tins they will reach a far wider market.
5. Establish and launch Fair Trade tinned tomatoes in UK, Europe, New Zealand and the US.

Please look at our briefing paper “Taking the Pips – Tomato Farmers in Ghana” on our Resources and Campaigns page for more information. It is also a project covered in our Global Citizenship Resource Pack for young people.

If you would like a pack to help explain the issue to your children, class or youth group please contact Val at val@african-initiatives.org.uk or on 0117 9150001.