IMPACTS OF AGRICULTURAL MECHANIZATION ON FOOD SECURITY AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION IN GHANA
ELIASU ISSAKA *
School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, P.R., China.
FREDRICK OTENG AGYEMAN
School of Management, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, PR, China.
MARY ADUMO WARIBOKO
School of Medicine, Faculty of Dermatology and Venereology, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, P.R., China.
NANA ADWOA NKUMA JOHNSON
School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, 202013, P. R., China.
AGYEMANG KWASI SAMPENE
School of Management, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, PR, China.
ERIC GYIMAH
School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, P.R., China.
SANDRA MAKAFUI ANAGBO
Business School, College of Humanities, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, 00233, Ghana.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The agricultural sector in Ghana is crucial for economic growth because of its enormous contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employment. Agriculture accounts for up to one-fifth of the GDP and employs more than half of the total workforce in Ghana. Thus, two-thirds of Ghana’s non-oil manufacturing relies solely on agriculture for raw materials, making it a critical sector in Ghana’s long-term goal for sustainable economic growth and development. This study examines Ghana's profitability of agricultural mechanization services and its consequences on food security and poverty alleviation. The study used content analysis and discussion from existing studies to achieve the objectives of the research. The findings of the study emphasize that, agricultural mechanization is a panacea to food security and poverty alleviation in emerging country such as Ghana. The findings from this study are intended to contribute to the current policy debate on agricultural mechanization in the country. The findings also highlight that, in the effort to raise agricultural production and profitability, agricultural mechanization is one breakthrough in the agricultural sector that leads to higher profitability of the rural folk, hence improving food security and poverty reduction. The study further suggests new schemes for the improvement of agricultural mechanization in Ghana.
Keywords: Food security, poverty alleviation, Government of Ghana, sustainability, agricultural modernization, gross domestic products, profitability