National Farmers Union (NFU) officials made a stop in Africa to talk about how cooperatives can promote sustainability. This news release from the group says NFU President Roger Johnson talked about the development of cooperatives at the National Food and Agric Show (FAGRO) in Ghana.
“I am excited to be able to discuss and promote cooperatives as a means for agricultural sustainability in Ghana,” said Johnson. “Cooperatives provide education and training for members, managers and employees, who can then utilize that knowledge to effectively develop not only their cooperatives, but also their communities.”
Johnson noted that Farmers Union has a rich history of supporting and developing cooperatives, and with that comes the ability to speak to the successes of cooperatives in agriculture. Through the technical assistance and funding provided by Farmers Union, cooperatives throughout the United States have been able to benefit their local communities.
“Ghanaian officials have reached out to NFU in the past to explore the cooperative model in the United States,” said Johnson. “I believe that the successes of the Farmers Union push for cooperatives in the United States can be modeled in Ghana for the betterment of their agriculture industry.”
Johnson noted that Ghana’s economy relies heavily upon its agriculture sector, as it represents 21 percent of the nation’s GDP and more than half of the labor force.