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CSIR Champions climate-smart solutions to secure Ghana's food future
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has called for stronger investment, strategic partnerships, and the accelerated adoption of climate-smart agricultural technologies to safeguard Ghana’s food future.
In a press statement issued to the Ghana News Agency, the council warned that climate change increasingly threatens food production despite the availability of proven scientific solutions. The call was made at a national virtual symposium commemorating the 2026 Day of Scientific Renaissance of Africa (DSRA), organised by the CSIR under the auspices of the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology in collaboration with the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) and other sister agencies.
Held under the theme, “Strengthening Research Partnerships and Scientific Innovation for Climate Resilient Agricultural Development in Ghana,” with the slogan “Advancing Science, Transforming Agriculture,” the event brought together scientists, policymakers, development partners, financial institutions, farmer organisations, and private sector actors.
Key Climate Threats
Discussions highlighted that rising temperatures and unpredictable rainfall across all agro-ecological zones are making agricultural production riskier, particularly since over 80 per cent of Ghana's agriculture is rain-fed. Prolonged droughts, delayed rainfall, shorter growing seasons, floods, and pest outbreaks such as fall armyworm infestations are severely disrupting farming activities and rural livelihoods. The symposium specifically cited the destructive flooding at the Weta Irrigation Scheme in the Volta Region as a stark example of climate shocks destroying crops and stored produce.
Climate-Smart Innovation Highlighted
To combat these vulnerabilities, the CSIR and its institutes showcased several practical scientific technologies:
- Alternate Wetting and Drying Irrigation Technology: A water-saving approach for rice production that cuts water use by about 30%, improves water-use efficiency by 29%, and boasts an 80% adoption rate among partner farmers. Average rice yields increased from 4.1 to 5.4 tonnes per hectare, boosting smallholder profits by 25%.
- Climate-Resilient Crop Varieties: Developed by the CSIR-Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (SARI), these include early-maturing maize varieties tolerant to drought, Striga infestation, and fall armyworm (such as Denbea and CSIR-Wobil Moya yielding over six tonnes per hectare), alongside the Gbewaa Red aromatic rice and improved, nutrient-rich cowpea, soybean, and groundnut varieties.
- SARIFIX: A specialised rhizobium inoculant that enhances biological nitrogen fixation in legumes, raising yields by 30 to 50 per cent while lowering chemical fertiliser dependence.
- Seed Yam Leaf Bud Cutting Technology: An innovation transforming seed yam production by enabling the growth of up to 500 seed yams from a single mother plant.
Moving Forward
Stakeholders noted that while scientific breakthroughs exist, barriers such as short-term funding, weak seed delivery systems, and limited coordination hinder widespread adoption. The symposium concluded by recommending stronger public-private-farmer partnerships, integration with localized climate information services, digital agro-climate advisory systems, and climate-indexed insurance schemes to build a resilient agricultural sector and secure Ghana’s long-term food future.
