In September 2026, farmers in Ghana’s Volta Region watched tonnes of ripe tomatoes rot in their fields, with no reliable way to get them to market. That same month, fresh tomatoes were the single biggest driver of Ghana’s inflation, costing consumers more than twice what they had a year earlier.
It’s a striking paradox that as Ghana ramps up its food production through flagship programs such as Feed Ghana, much of it never reaches consumers. Seasons and market dynamics all play a role, but the problem often starts with the road out of the farm. And the country isn’t alone.
Across Africa, transport remains a major barrier between farms and markets, driving up costs and cutting into farmers’ earnings. Poor feeder roads are at the heart of the problem, preventing trucks from reaching farms during the rainy season, delaying deliveries, and contributing to food losses.
Recognizing that challenge, the US$500 million Ghana Market Access and Connectivity Project is supporting the objectives of the country’s AgriConnect Compact, launched earlier this year, by improving rural road connectivity, strengthening agricultural value chains and creating jobs across the country.
That includes rehabilitating over 1,000km of feeder roads. But it comes with a tough choice: with 43,000 kilometers of feeder roads nationwide, where can those investments have the greatest impact? To help the Government of Ghana answer that question, our team developed AgriVia, a geospatial tool to help prioritize rural road investments.
Step 1: finding fertile ground
We began by asking which districts would benefit the most from the rehabilitation of roads. Should investment favor areas producing the most food, or those most cut off from markets? AgriVia maps where farmers, food insecurity, and poor market access overlap. It highlights the places with the greatest needs and opportunities, while letting government officials weigh the trade-offs and decide which areas to prioritize.
read more: https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/agfood/agriconnect–paving-the-way-to-markets-in-ghana
