Ghana is betting on a new climate-smart rice project to cut its heavy dependence on imported rice and boost local production. The government, working with Switzerland and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has launched the Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) Rice Project, which promises to save water, raise yields, and lower farming costs while protecting the environment.
Rice is one of Ghana’s most consumed staples, yet the country imports more than half of what it eats, costing hundreds of millions of dollars each year and adding pressure on foreign reserves. Officials say the AWD project could change that equation by making local rice farming more productive and sustainable.
The technique, already proven in parts of Asia, reduces the flooding of rice fields, cutting water use by as much as 30% and lowering methane emissions by nearly the same margin. Importantly for farmers, yields are expected to hold steady or even increase. By 2030, the project aims to reach 11,000 farmers across nearly 243,000 hectares, while avoiding more than 1.3 million tonnes of carbon emissions.
“This is more than a climate project, it is about helping farmers earn more, cut costs, and make Ghana less dependent on imported rice,” said Dr. Abdul-Razak Saeed, UNDP Ghana’s Head of Environment and Climate.
The initiative is also tied to international climate finance. Under the Paris Agreement’s Article 6.2 framework, Switzerland will purchase verified emission reductions from Ghana, creating a new revenue stream to support local agriculture.
Stakeholders at the project’s inception meeting including the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Ghana Irrigation Development Authority, and the Ghana Rice Inter-professional Body agreed on next steps, such as training farmers, strengthening monitoring systems, and scaling up demonstration farms.
For Ghanaian households, the stakes are clear. Rising rice imports have made the country vulnerable to global price shocks, straining family budgets and government reserves. By boosting domestic supply, officials say the AWD Rice Project could stabilize prices, reduce the import bill, and support food security.
There are broader benefits. Cutting reliance on imported rice would help ease pressure on the cedi, while making farming more attractive to young people. For Ghana’s development partners, the project shows how climate cooperation can deliver both global and local wins.
