GTLC believes that the foundation to effective trade facilitation is strong and effective local government market systems that feed into organised and vibrant national market systems. A process which presents the opportunity to serve national needs and interest and creates prospect for informed and beneficial participation in sub-regional and global trade. We have provided support to rice, tomato and shea market systems in northern Ghana. The experience and lessons learnt in the facilitation of tomato trade between Ghana and Burkina Faso anchors our position. In this case the processes led to the development of a roadmap for the creation of a joint tomato enterprise between the two countries. Our work presents the building blocks to stronger and effective market systems that serve local production, value added and marketing, with high gender responsive multistakeholder satisfaction. It also creates evidence to guide policy and budget advocacy.
The process of inclusive market system facilitation and strengthening brings together academia, private sector, government, producers and other market actors to a multistakeholder discussion that informs the development of an illustrative market map that depicts the state of a market system on a single page. it enables identification of gaps, threats, challenges, and causes. It provides insight to opportunities and blockages in the system that prevent stakeholders from benefiting. The process helps the private sector to identify and correct supply and market constraints. It provides government with information on the structural issues that prevent succesful and profitable market systems and where to direct budgetary investments. It creates conditions for women and men market actors to focus on producing quality with high productivity. Ghana's abilities and potential in ECOWAS and in the AfCFTA is best served with informed, strong, and vibrant inclusive market systems. Collection and use of sex disaggregated data in engagements and analysis ensures gender responsive analysis' and solutions.