Government has announced plans to reserve lands for women-led agribusinesses through its ‘Women in Agriculture’ initiative which aims to improve women’s access to land, finance, and business development opportunities.

An official from the Office of the Vice President, Dr. Miriam Rahinatu Iddrisu, a gender and social development expert, made this announcement on behalf of the Vice President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, at the launch of the Status Seminar 2025, hosted by the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), in collaboration with the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) in Accra last Tuesday.

Dr. Miriam Rahinatu Iddrisu says government is working towards securing lands mainly for women in agribusiness.

“Government-designated zones will reserve land specifically for women-led agribusinesses, while advancing gender equity and structural inclusion. Government also prioritizes land rights for women and youth, recognizing this fundamental for sustainable livelihoods and rural enterprise growth”, she stated.

According to Dr. Iddrisu, despite the “vital” contribution of women to sustainable land management and food systems, women continue to face systemic inequities, considering the fact that they constitute nearly 50% of the agricultural workforce in Sub-Saharan Africa, yet hold less than 15% of land titles in many countries.

“This gender gap is not only unfair—it is inefficient and detrimental to economic and environmental sustainability. This exclusion carries a heavy cost, not just for women and girls, but for entire communities, countries, and the environment we all share”, she lamented.

The government’s commitment therefore, represents a holistic strategy to enhance agriculture and encourage sustainable land use, aligning with both national development priorities and international climate responsibilities.

The Status Seminar is part of the Supporting Pathways to Sustainable Land Management in Africa (INTERFACES) Project, under the broader umbrella of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research’s platform, Research for Sustainability (FONA).

Participants and stakeholders at the Status Seminar 2025 discusses among others, equitable land access and use, especially for women in Sub-saharan Africa.

Dr. Aggrey Agumya, Executive Director of FARA, also noted that agricultural systems in many parts of Africa, particularly those led by smallholder farmers, are challenged by degraded soils, low yields, weak institutional support, and the increasingly devastating impacts of climate change, from prolonged droughts to declining crop productivity.

“In response, we are proud to be part of the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space’s (BMFTR) strategic initiative on ‘Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Saharan Africa’, which commits €14.7 million between 2022 and 2027 to fund four major research projects and the complementary INTERFACES project”, he iterated.

According to him, his outfit is seeing “tangible impact” through various projects such as the COINS project which promotes sustainable intensification and integrated soil fertility management; the DecLaRe project which develops decision support tools for farmers and extension officers; INTERFACES, which has established a participatory learning platform in Northern Ghana; as well as the Inforange project.

“As we gather here today, I urge us to reflect on the progress we have made and the road ahead. Our work will only be meaningful if the innovations, knowledge, and experiences generated are transformed into real-world impact. That is why strategic partnerships matter”, Agumya said.