The three-day GrEEn Regional Trade Show was part of the Boosting Green Employment and Enterprise Opportunities in Ghana (GrEEn) Project being implemented by SNV Ghana and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), with funding support from the European Union and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ghana.

The GrEEn project is a four-year initiative that sought to create greater economic and employment opportunities for the youth, women and returning migrants by promoting and supporting sustainable green businesses.

It also sought to provide employable skills training to youth job seekers in two selected regions, including Ashanti and Western.

The trade show, which started from August 11 to 13, was the third in a series being organised to stimulate sharing and exchanges within the circular economy, while showcasing and promoting green products and services to boost growth of the local economy and support sustainable start-ups and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the green sector to increase job creation.

It was held in partnership with Ghana Export Promotion Authority, Association of Ghana Industries, Ghana Enterprises Agency, GIZ Ghana and the Ministry of Trade and Industry on the theme: “Sustainable Trade Investment, the future for the Ghanaian Economy”.

A total of 68 SMEs with 39 who were either enrolled or had graduated from SNV’s six-month GrEEn Incubation and GrEEn Acceleration Programmes, that provided business advisory support to green and eco-inclusive businesses and entrepreneurs, and 29 other sustainable businesses exhibited their products and services to prospective clients.

Mr. Laouali Sadda, GrEEn Project Manager, speaking at the opening of the trade show in Takoradi, said the GrEEn Regional Trade Show was intended to highlight market opportunities in the green and circular economy.

He indicated that the GrEEn Project was aimed at supporting the growth of green, climate resilience and sustainable businesses as well as provide skills development to youth in the Ashanti and Western regions.

He said supporting indigenous sustainable enterprises and communities to cultivate climate resilience was a strategic way to mitigate the effects of climate change on livelihoods.
In that regard, Mr Sadda noted that through the implementation of the GrEEn Project and the GrEEn Innovation Challenge, an initiative rolled out to provide financial support to businesses with innovative ideas, his outfit had awarded over GHC3 million to sustainable local businesses.

They had also recently joined five green entrepreneurs to commission their factories across the Western Region.

He expressed gratitude to the project’s donors and partners for their supports in ensuring the success of the programme.

Mr. Isaac Yankson, Western Regional Trade and Industry Officer, commended the SNV for the intervention, saying “We really appreciate the investment opportunities that SNV is 7 for our green innovators by considering the long-term effect of environmental and climatic conditions”.

He said investment in green systems of production had become very critical towards sustaining the environment.

He mentioned that the Ghana Trade Policy document which is one of the key supporting documents for the implementation of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) had clear projects and programmes aimed at promoting the use of green technologies and strictly adhering to the use of good manufacturing practices to help sustain the environment while producing for consumption.

“The green initiative is, therefore, very important to complement already existing policies that takes into consideration the environment and the achievement of climate sustainability enshrined in the Millennium Development Goals,” Mr. Yankson added.

Madam Joana Ama Arthur, Founder of Mending Papers, and a beneficiary of the Incubation programme, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the side-lines, expressed gratitude to the SNV and its partners for providing business advisory to support the growth of SMEs like hers.

She said: “I initially had the idea of crafting paper bags from maize husk and dried plantain stems, but the start-up was a bit difficult, but through SNV’s interventions I have realised my dream.”

She noted that her idea was to contribute to the reduction in plastic waste pollution through the use of paper bags in her community and the country in general.