Olam Food Ingredients Ghana Limited (ofi), a premier ingredients company, cashew exporter, and Licensed Buying Company (LBC), is actively championing a sustainable agricultural sector in Ghana, guided by its foundational purpose to be “the change for good food and a healthy future.” The company is strategically executing its 2030 sustainability ambitions through focused investments aimed at empowering farmers, reinforcing community resilience, and enhancing value across its extensive supply chains in both the cocoa and cashew sectors.
A cornerstone of this commitment is the significant investment in Education. ofi has financed the construction and renovation of schools across numerous cocoa and cashew communities, including the establishment of new classroom blocks and the refurbishment of facilities like Akawani Basic School, Kedawaso KG Block, and Kaase MA School, to name a few. This infrastructure drive ensures children have access to safe and supportive learning environments. Complementing the physical infrastructure, ofi is nurturing intellectual development through extracurricular activities such as reading clubs, Girls in Science programmes, and adolescent mentorship, while simultaneously working with district educational directorates to strengthen overall learning outcomes.
The company’s dedication to community well-being is further demonstrated through its Health initiatives. The ‘ofi Healthy Living Campaign’ delivers essential care directly to farmers and their families, offering screenings for conditions like HIV, hepatitis, and malaria, alongside regular deworming programmes for schoolchildren to facilitate early detection and promote community health. Furthermore, ofi has supported the construction and renovation of health facilities in areas like Assin Fosu and Mesidan, complementing community awareness campaigns focused on breast cancer, breastfeeding, and menstrual hygiene, collectively helping to mitigate health vulnerabilities in farming communities.
Integral to its long-term strategy is Capacity Building, where ofi provides comprehensive training to farmers under three critical pillars: Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), Good Social Practices (GSP), and Good Environmental Practices (GEP). GAP training equips farmers with modern, climate-smart farming skills to significantly boost yields and build climate resilience. GSP is centred on human rights, with a focus on preventing child labour, raising awareness of sexual harassment, and establishing robust grievance mechanisms to ensure peaceful and safe communities. GEP empowers farmers with skills for environmentally friendly methods to protect forest landscapes and ensure long-term sustainability, an effort that is augmented by livelihood diversification training in areas such as cashew apple processing, soap-making, baking, and other petty trading skills.
Through Community Development, ofi collaborates closely with local groups to establish strong governance systems, supporting leadership structures and Community Action Plans (CAPs) for integration into district assembly frameworks. This also includes assistance with vital infrastructure projects, bylaw creation, and leadership training in advocacy to secure sustainable, locally-driven development. In a demonstration of Partnerships for Innovation, ofi has teamed up with GIZ to launch the ‘Cashew Apple as a Recipe for Women and Youth Empowerment’ Matching Grant Fund project in Techiman, aiming to train 1,000 women and youth in value addition for cashew apples to foster sustainable job creation and enhance post-harvest handling. Additionally, the biochar project at Opokukrom in the Dunkwa community trains farmers in using biochar, a stable, carbon-rich material from organic waste like cocoa pods, to assess its effectiveness in improving soil productivity and building a more competitive and inclusive agricultural value chain.
Commenting on the company’s vision, Kennedy Ntoso, Head of Sustainability for ofi’s operations in Ghana, stated, “We want every farmer, family, and community within our supply chain to thrive. Through education, health, capacity building, and community development, we are creating long-term value that drives positive change and strengthens Ghana’s cocoa and cashew sectors.” This sustained focus on promoting sustainable agriculture solidifies ofi’s standing as a preferred partner, supporting thousands of farmers and contributing to a healthier, more resilient future for Ghana.
