Agricultural commercialization and gender mainstreaming in decentralized Ghana: The politics of business

This chapter argues that the implementation of agricultural and gender equality policies in Ghana is limited because of insufficient fiscal decentralization, which renders implementation at the sub-national level dependent on businesses and private sector actors with adequate financial resources. We use two agribusinesses – Serendipalm Company Limited in the Kwaebibirem District of the Eastern Region, and Mondelēz International in the Asunafo North Municipal Assembly of the Ahafo Region to illuminate this. Our findings show that the two agribusinesses drive the implementation of government policies by co-opting key government agencies at the local level to implement agricultural policies that align with their interests in shaping agricultural commercialization and gender mainstreaming. Specifically, they push commercialization and cash crops at the expense of food crops, and women’s participation in agriculture and their industries. We, therefore, recommend realistic budgetary allocation from central government augmented by innovative local revenue mobilization at the sub-national level to reduce the high fiscal dependency on agribusinesses in implementing desirable outcomes of agricultural commercialization and the attainment of SDG-5. Agribusinesses are encouraged to pay more attention to local institutions responsible for natural resource management and the powers they embed in addressing pre-existing gender inequalities.