Ghana Parliament Assures Legal Reforms to Secure US$500 Million Tree Crop Investments at GTCIS 2026 in Accra ‎

‎Ghana’s Parliament has pledged to strengthen the country’s legal and regulatory framework to safeguard investors in the tree crop sector, as the maiden Ghana Tree Crops Investment Summit and Exhibition (GTCIS) concluded in Accra on Friday, February 20, 2026.

‎The four-day summit, held at the Accra International Conference Centre, brought together policymakers, investors, traditional authorities, financial institutions, and industry players under the theme: “Sustainable Growth Through Tree Crop Investments: Resetting and Building Ghana’s Green Economy.”
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‎Organisers project that the summit could unlock up to US$500 million in investment interest across Ghana’s tree crop economy,capital considered vital for expanding local processing, improving farmer incomes, and reducing dependence on raw commodity exports.
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‎Parliament Signals Regulatory Reforms to Boost Investor Confidence
‎Addressing participants at an investment forum on the sidelines of the summit, Godfred Seidu Jasaw, Chairman of Parliament’s Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Committee and Member of Parliament for Wa East, assured investors of Parliament’s readiness to support reforms.

Godfred Seidu Jasaw, Chairman of Parliament’s Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Committee and Member of Parliament for Wa East, 

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‎“We will be amenable to reorienting our legal regulations and platforms for laws in this country regarding your investment,” Dr. Jasaw stated, emphasizing Parliament’s commitment to engaging stakeholders and ensuring a secure investment environment.
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‎His remarks reflect growing recognition that investor confidence in Ghana’s agricultural sector has historically been weakened by regulatory uncertainty, land tenure disputes, and limited access to long-term financing.
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‎At a dedicated cashew investment session, Sylvester Adinam Mensah, Chief Executive of Ghana Export-Import Bank, acknowledged the unique financing challenges in the tree crop sector.
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‎He noted that tree crops require patient capital due to the long gestation period between investment and harvest, pledging affordable financing models tailored to the sector’s long-term nature.
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‎"An unexpected yet strategic contributor to the sector is the Ghana Prisons Service".
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‎In a statement delivered on her behalf, Director-General Patience Baffoe-Bonnie revealed that the Service currently manages:
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‎688.5 acres of oil palm plantation
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‎10 acres of mango farms
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‎These farms are spread across prison establishments nationwide. She disclosed that efforts are underway to secure land banks at strategic locations to scale up production under Ghana’s 24-Hour Economy programme, with dedicated departments already established to leverage available policy incentives.
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‎The summit also highlighted persistent gender inequalities within the tree crop value chain.
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‎Dr. Vida Korang, Senior Lecturer at the Catholic University of Ghana, stressed that women’s contributions as cultivators, processors, aggregators, traders, exporters, and micro-entrepreneurs remain largely undervalued.
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‎“We are the traders, exporters and micro-entrepreneurs, and the custodians of indigenous knowledge and sustainable practices,” she noted, calling for deliberate policy interventions to empower women across the entire value chain.
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‎The Tree Crops Development Authority used the summit platform to unveil a comprehensive growth blueprint targeting six priority commodities:
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‎Cashew
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‎Oil palm
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‎Shea
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‎Coconut
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‎Rubber
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‎Mango
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‎Each commodity is projected to generate an average of US$2 billion annually, bringing the combined target to US$12 billion per year by 2030.
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‎Traditional Leaders and Land Access
‎In his opening address, Osei Tutu II cautioned that cocoa alone can no longer sustain Ghana’s economic ambitions. He cited climate change, illegal mining (galamsey), water pollution, and shifting global demand as growing threats to the crop that has historically anchored the country’s rural economy.
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‎President John Dramani Mahama echoed these concerns, urging traditional authorities to facilitate secure land access for investors. He described land tenure insecurity as one of the most persistent structural barriers to expanding Ghana’s tree crop industry.
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‎As the Ghana Tree Crops Investment Summit and Exhibition closes its inaugural chapter, stakeholders appear aligned on one critical objective: building a diversified, resilient, and export-driven tree crop economy.
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‎With Parliament pledging legal reforms, financial institutions committing patient capital, and public institutions expanding participation, Ghana’s push toward a US$500 million tree crop investment milestone signals a decisive step toward strengthening the country’s green economy and long-term agricultural transformation.
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‎reported by Azaglo Michael.