Improving Access to Solar Irrigation Finance for Cocoa Farmers in Ghana: Co-Design Workshop

Gbodji, Kekeli Kofi; Zane, Giulia; Quarmine, William; Schmitter, Petra S.

Improving Access to Solar Irrigation Finance for Cocoa Farmers in Ghana: Co-Design Workshop

Autores

Editor

International Water Management Institute
CGIAR Sustainable Farming Program

Descripción

On 10 July 2025, the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) convened a co-design workshop in Accra to explore practical pathways for improving access to finance for solar-powered irrigation among cocoa farmers in Ghana. Cocoa farming supports over 800,000 smallholder households but is increasingly threatened by climate change, including rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and longer dry seasons. Solar-powered irrigation offers a promising adaptation option, yet uptake remains limited due to high upfront investment costs and restricted access to affordable finance. Building on earlier empirical research and a discrete choice experiment that identified farmers’ preferences for low-interest loans, longer repayment periods, and group-based arrangements, the workshop focused on how to operationalize Access Bank’s BRIDGE-In Agriculture loan facility for cocoa irrigation investments. Participants from financial institutions, COCOBOD, irrigation suppliers, farmer cooperatives, and research organizations engaged in plenary and breakout discussions to identify feasible implementation strategies. A strong consensus emerged around cooperative-mediated financing as the most viable and scalable pathway. Cooperatives were seen as effective intermediaries for farmer mobilization, borrower screening, risk sharing, and coordination with banks, while also supporting clearer communication and repayment compliance. The workshop concluded with agreement to pilot the cooperative-mediated approach with one to two well-structured cocoa cooperatives to generate operational lessons for potential scale-up.