Ghana is the new golden opportunity for Danish eco-tech and food businesses

The Danish Minister for Environment and Food, Esben Lunde Larsen, will on Thursday, November 22, 2017 participate in a state visit with trade mission to Ghana alongside Her Majesty Queen Margrethe and 39 Danish businesses.

The visit is to pave the way for Danish eco-technology and Danish food products on the growing West African market.

Ghana's growing middle class offers new opportunities for Danish eco-tech and food businesses. During the next four days, led by Her Majesty Queen Margrethe, the Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Anders Samuelsen, and the Minister for Environment and Food, Esben Lunde Larsen, 39 Danish businesses will have the opportunity to open the doors to the Ghanaian market.

The Minister for Environment and Food has high expectations to the trade mission:

"Ghana is currently demanding some of the food products and technological solutions within which Denmark holds a strong position. However, even though Denmark has strong solutions, the potential for Danish exports to Ghana is far from realised. Therefore, it is important that we promote Danish businesses, so they are first in line when Ghana invests in food products or in water and eco-technology," said the Minister for Environment and Food, Esben Lunde Larsen.

During the visit, the Minister for Environment and Food will focus on establishing relations to the Ghanaian authorities and opening doors for the Danish businesses.

In 2016, Danish exports to Ghana amounted to approx. DKK 270 million (EUR 36 million). In the first seven months of 2017, Danish exports to Ghana rose to an extraordinary level of almost DKK 1 billion (EUR 134 million) due to a major order landed by the oil industry.

"Even though Danish exports to Ghana rose during 2017, there is still a huge unfulfilled potential for Danish businesses in Ghana. For example, Ghana currently has a water loss of more than 50 percent, whereas Denmark loses less than 8 percent of water from waterworks to consumers. Moreover, with Denmark's high level of food safety, high level of efficiency and climate-friendly food production, we can supply both high-quality food products and technology to the West Africans. I look forward to showing the Ghanaians what Danish businesses can offer," said Esben Lunde Larsen.

The trade mission will take place from 23 November to 25 November.

Extracts from the programme:

• 23/11: Speech by the Danish Minister for Environment and Food at the opening ceremony for the Danish state visit.

• 23/11: Ceremony for Danish businesses with signing of agreements with Ghanaian authorities and businesses.

• 23/11: Bilateral meetings with Ghanaian ministers for water resources and sanitation, the environment as well as food and agriculture.

• 24/11-25/11: Visits to the Danish-founded FanMilk, the Ghanaian Weija Waterworks and Blue Skies juice Factory.

Facts about Ghana and Danish exports:

• Ghana has 28 million inhabitants.

• Ghana was Denmark's 84th largest export market in 2016, corresponding to DKK 272.7 million (around EUR 37 million) or 0.04% of total Danish exports.

• In the first seven months of 2017, Danish exports to Ghana rose to almost DKK 1 billion (EUR 134 million).

• The Danish International Development Assistance (Danida) has been active in Ghana since 1989, but the Danish development aid will now be phased out and cease entirely in 2020, as Ghana became a middle income country in 2011.