Sustainable food production

1. there is low production of soybeans in Ghana, this forced local processing companies to import soybeans for their productions. Processing companies that do not have capacity to import soybeans for production collapse.

2. we want to increase the production of soybeans by increasing the number of our smallholder farmers so that they will be able to produce more soybeans for our company to sell to the soybeans processing companies. we support the farmers with training, inputs and tractor service.

3. If we increase our production, more smallholder farmers would engaged. since we buy certified seeds from the local seed companies, our increase will result in the increase of seed production,sustaining the seed companies and employment there. If we are able to increase our production, we will be able to save more local soybeans processing companies from collapsing there-by sustaining employment and more jobs along the value chain. 

Smallholder farmers are the main producers of soybeans but most of them lake the resources to increase the production to meet the growing demand.Our company has identifies four clients and these are:

1. Golden web refinery, they have capacity to produce 50 tons of soybeans a week, but they can only do 20 tons a month

2. EGABS Ghana limited, they the capacity to process 30 tons a week, but the process only 10 ton in a month

3. we are a member of the Ghana commodity exchange where we can sell 50 tons a week, but ever since we join the exchange, we could only do less than 5 ton

Sang soybean processing factory has the capacity to do 20 tons a week but the only process 5 tons a month.

the links below show how mach we import soybeans since we don't produce enough for local processing

https://trendeconomy.com/data/

http://gis4agricgh.net/POLICIE...

https://www.ghanaweb.com/Ghana...

Our solution is to increase the number of our smallholder farmers, train them, support them with certified seeds and tractor service. when thet harvest, they will pay 100kg of soybeans to our company as our investment into their farms. The farmers can also sell the remaining soybeans to us, so that, we can sell all the soybeans to the local processing companies, our clients.

1. our clients want to have a specific price for soybeans within a year, and that is what we are offering.

2. our clients sometimes want to process, sell and pay us back and since we will have enough soybeans, we can do just that for our clients.

3. our clients also want constant supply and quality of soybeans which is what we are offering.

1. Our smallholder farmers. they want to increase their production side but they don't have the capacity.

2. our clients, the local processing companies who are finding it difficult to be in business because they are not getting enough supply of soybeans.

3. Our seed suppliers, most of them produce below capacity because they don't have enough buyers.

4. Increasing our capacity will increase the capacities of the smallholder farmers, the seed companies, the soybeans processing companies and also increase sustainable employment for our company and the soybeans value chain.

5. this will eventually lead to sustainable employment, reduction in poverty and hunger in our operational areas.

Once we keep buying seed from the seed companies, the seed companies will be sustainable. Since we have capacity to support our farmers with inputs and market, their production will be sustainable. As far as we are in business, our clients, the processing companies will also continue to be in business. this there defines the challenge, sustainable food systems.