Australia is proud to have launched the Africa-Australia Partnership for Climate Responsive Agriculture at an event last week at the Ghanaian Australian High Commission in Accra. The partnership is being delivered in collaboration with Ghanaian partners and is designed to support climate resilient agriculture, food security and inclusive development.
Changing rainfall patterns and shortened planting windows are already occurring as a function of climate change and affecting farmers’ decisions and livelihoods. Combined with rising input costs, pressure on land and water resources, a growing population and nutritional challenges, agricultural systems must produce more with less.
The need for innovative solutions to combat these challenges is irrefutable; over 12.5 million Ghanaians are food insecure with women-lead households the most impacted, according to the Ghana Statistical Service.
As the flagship agricultural research-for-development program of the Australian Government in Africa, the Africa-Australia Partnership is being led by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). ACIAR has a 40-year history in eastern and southern Africa brokering and investing in locally led, evidence-based agricultural research partnerships to inform policy, strengthen institutions and deliver sustainable outcomes at scale for smallholder farmers.
The similar agricultural environments and climate challenges in large parts of Africa and Australia make this a mutually beneficial partnership. Strong collaboration in climate resilient agriculture research can leverage expertise in both continents to deliver. African research into circular agricultural systems in Africa, including sustainable feed and waste solutions using black soldier fly innovations, is just one example of such work.
Innovations such as these reduce environmental pressure, increase productivity in livestock, poultry and aquaculture, diversify animal and fish nutrient-rich protein-feed sources, and improve crop yields through organic fertiliser.
Initial activities under the Africa-Australia Partnership have centred on knowledge exchange and south-to-south collaboration. Ghanaian researchers and organisations have attended a study tour on the use of indigenous crops in Vanuatu, a workshop on black soldier fly innovations in Kenya and studied sustainable livestock management at the International Rangeland Congress in Adelaide, Australia, in 2025. The partnership builds on Australia’s longstanding programs in Ghana, including the Australia Awards scholarships and the Direct Aid Program, an annual Australian Government small grants program supporting community-led development.
Locally led, globally connected, inclusion focussed
Through the Africa-Australia Partnership, research is co-designed with Ghanaian institutions and aligned with national priorities to support ongoing impact. Specifically, the program will prioritise supporting smallholder farmers to adopt climate-resilient practices; strengthening the participation and leadership of women in agriculture; and build Africa-Australia research partnerships to foster research capacity and innovation.
A defining feature of the Africa-Australia Partnership is its emphasis on inclusion as a core driver of impact. Experience from Ghana and across West Africa shows that when women and young people are recognised as leaders, agricultural systems become more productive, innovative and resilient.
A call to decision makersÂ
The Africa-Australia Partnership places research at the centre of development and reinforces a shared commitment between Africa and Australia to solutions that are locally led, globally connected and built to sustain themselves long after this flagship program’s lifespan.
If Ghana’s agricultural future is to be resilient, inclusive and sustainable, then research must remain at the heart of the national agenda: co-designed, climate-responsive, and focused on real-world impact. And that’s the essence of the Africa-Australia Partnership.
For more information, visit https://www.aciar.gov.au/africa-australia-partnership.