News
African agro businesses empowered to access and thrive in EU markets under ITA’s Lab Innova initiative
Italian trade promotion body, Italian Trade Agency (ITA), has organized an interactive skill acquisition session for businesses and entrepreneurs in Africa’s agro-food value chain under a structured program dubbed “Lab Innova for Africa”—a capacity building initiative on scaling African agro exports to the European market.
The week-long training featured selected African agribusiness owners and entrepreneurs in a high-impact training programme designed to equip participants with the technical, managerial, and market-access skillsets required to compete successfully in the European Union (EU).
Lab Innova is a specialised training programme for the agro-food sector in Africa, promoted by the Italian Trade Agency in close collaboration with key Italian partners, including Macfrut—one of Europe’s leading agro-food trade fairs.
Laura Ranalli, Italian Ambassador to Ghana (4th from left), with facilitators at the just-ended training program
In an interview, ITA’s Accra director, Mr. Luigi Puca, said the week-long interactive session was to get participants familiarized to the specific export requirements that would empower them to trade in the European market
“Through these trainings, we update African countries on Italy’s economic policy and legal frameworks in order to enhance their competitiveness and readiness for international trade. It’s also a win-win situation because through information exchanges, our small and medium enterprises will grow up together with their African counterparts,” said Mr. Puca
Broadly, the training aims to increase the technical and managerial capacity of African agri-food companies by equipping participating businesses with the requisite skillset and operational interventions that meet EU standards. This is expected to facilitate their access to European markets and to build mutually beneficial partnerships with Italian firms.
Participants were taken through intensive courses focused on business management, negotiation, international marketing, food safety regulations, logistics, packaging solutions, and environmental sustainability, facilitated by ITA experts specialised in the selected topics.
According to Mr. Puca, the training offered an opportunity to showcase market-leading innovations and update participants about specific food safety protocols especially for agribusinesses and actors within the agro exports value chain.
He added: “We have a framework of regulations and laws that have to be known by foreign companies and foreign producers. With this training, we are not only focusing on the technical aspect or marketing aspect, but also talk about the legal framework that stays around international trade.”
Beyond skills development, Lab Innova serves as a launchpad for technology transfer and innovation, drawing inspiration from Italy’s highly successful agri-food district model. These districts—clusters of interconnected producers, processors, technology providers, and research institutions—have been central to Italy’s global competitiveness in agro-food exports.
The training is seen as a timely intervention considering the EU’s stringent export measures on food safety and quality standards, packaging, traceability and sustainability—requiring that local agro-businesses get acquainted with the needed strategies to access the European market.
On his part, training coordinator Uberto Trulli, described Lab Innova as a forward-looking and mutually beneficial initiative that will enhance the technical and trade capacity of value chain actors within the African agro-food export space.
“This collaboration seeks to enhance exposure and global competitiveness for African agribusinesses. The main goal and target for this project is to give technical instruments and assistance to agri-food African businesses and to create bonds and interaction with Italian companies,” he emphasized.
To him, Lab Innova is a win-win relationship that supports the Italian marketplace with high demand for tropical fruits in EU market whilst African businessmen can adopt Italian agri-food technology, irrigation systems and the tools.
A participant and president of the Vegetable Producers and Exporters Association of Ghana—who is also the vice-president of the Federation of Association of Ghanaian Exporters, Dr. Felix Kamassah said the initiative was highly impactful and insightful.
“The European market is a different market altogether, and I’m so excited because Lab Innova provides the opportunity for agribusinesses and entrepreneurs in Africa’s agro exports value chain to access and thrive in this competitive market,” he shared.
He added: “I’ve gained practical knowledge about the demand of the European market and how I could explore existing gaps and opportunities as an entrepreneur and exporter—including understanding product branding and packaging.”
This year’s Lab Innova will be climaxed with a five-day study tour at this year’s Macfrut event to be held in Rimini, Italy—that includes a guided tour of the exhibition, visit to company sites, business-to-business and networking sessions.
It was organized in partnership with local business associations and state institutions namely the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), the Federation of Association of Ghanaian Exporters (FAGE), and the Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana (CAG).
ITA is the official government body responsible for promoting the trade interests of Italian businesses around the globe as well as attracting foreign investments into Italy—focusing highly on agribusiness, manufacturing and technology transfer. It is also the bridge between Italy and global markets leading trade, investment and cooperation.
A Public Health Nurse at the Roman Ridge Sub-Municipal of the Ayawaso West Health Directorate, Ms Patience Adoli Kporxah, has cautioned the public against coming into contact with floodwaters, warning that exposure can lead to serious diseases, infections and injuries.
Floodwater, she said, should always be treated as contaminated, regardless of how clean it appears, because it may contain sewage, human and animal waste, chemicals, fuel, sharp objects and disease-causing micro-organisms.
In an interview with The Spectator in Accra on Thursday, Ms Kporxah explained that contact with contaminated floodwater exposes people to bacteria, viruses, parasites, hazardous chemicals and other physical hazards that can result in illness or injury.
Her advice came in the wake of recent exposure to floodwater following Monday’s torrential rains that left vast areas of the capital flooded.
As a result, a lot of people were seen either ‘swimming’ in the floodwater to rescue people or retrieving items being washed away.
According to her, exposure to floodwater could cause skin infections, particularly where there are cuts or open wounds, as well as diarrhoea diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery and other forms of gastroenteritis if contaminated water was swallowed.
Other health risks, she said include hepatitis A, eye and ear infections, tetanus in people with untreated wounds or incomplete vaccination, and injuries from submerged sharp objects, debris or electrical hazards.
Ms Kporxah advised anyone who had contact with floodwater to monitor their health closely and seek immediate medical attention if they develop symptoms such as fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain, severe headache, muscle aches, skin rash, difficulty breathing, or yellowing of the eyes or skin.
She also urged people whose wounds became red, swollen, painful or begin to discharge pus, as well as those who accidentally swallow floodwater, to report to the nearest health facility without delay.
Although not everyone exposed to floodwater requires immediate treatment, she stressed that pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems, individuals living with chronic illnesses and those with significant wounds should seek prompt medical evaluation.
On water safety, Ms Kporxah cautioned that rainwater was not automatically safe for drinking or cooking, especially during or after flooding. She explained that rainwater collected from roofs, gutters or open containers could be contaminated by bird and animal droppings, dust, leaves, bacteria, viruses, parasites and chemical pollutants.
She advised that rainwater intended for drinking should first be treated by boiling, chlorination or another approved water purification method before use.
Touching on food safety, Ms Kporxah said factory-sealed bottled drinks and canned foods with intact packaging might still be safe after flooding.
However, she stressed that any containers submerged in floodwater should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before handling. Foods in paper packaging, damaged containers or products with broken seals should be discarded because contaminated water may have seeped into them.
She further warned that flooding increases the risk of outbreaks of cholera, typhoid fever and other waterborne diseases through contaminated water sources.
In addition, she said flooding could contribute to respiratory illnesses in overcrowded shelters and mould-infested buildings, foodborne illnesses from spoiled or contaminated food, and mental health conditions such as anxiety, stress, depression and trauma.
It could also disrupt access to medicines and healthcare for people living with chronic conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, asthma and kidney disease.
Ms Kporxah therefore urged the public to practice good hygiene, avoid unnecessary contact with floodwater, consume only safe food and drinking water, and seek medical attention promptly whenever symptoms develop.
She said observing these preventive measures would help minimise the risk of disease outbreaks and protect lives as the country continues to experience heavy rains and flooding in some communities.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
The Executive Director of DAD Micro-Credit Limited (MCL), Mrs Christiana S. Dzitse-Awuku, has called for urgent and collective action to prevent the recurring loss of lives and destruction caused by flooding during the rainy season.
Reacting to the devastating effects of last Monday’s heavy rainfall in parts of the country, she expressed condolences to families who lost loved ones and sympathised with residents whose homes, businesses and livelihoods were affected.
In a statement signed by Mrs Dzitse-Awuku and copied to The Spectator in Accra on Friday, she said although rainfall was a natural occurrence, the destruction associated with it was largely preventable.
According to her, DAD Micro-Credit Limited provides financial support to owners of small and medium scale enterprises, the majority of whom are women.
She noted that the recent heavy rains have significantly affected these businesses, resulting in many clients losing their capital and facing challenges rebuilding their livelihoods.
She noted that clogged drains, indiscriminate dumping of refuse, poor drainage infrastructure, and buildings constructed on waterways, and disregard for environmental and planning regulations had worsened the impact of heavy rains over the years.
“This is a wake-up call to all of us. The responsibility does not rest solely on government institutions. It is a shared duty,” she stated.
Ms Dzitse-Awuku urged citizens to desist from dumping waste into drains, maintain clean surroundings, and comply with environmental and planning regulations to reduce the risk of flooding.
She also called on the relevant authorities to intensify efforts to desilt drains regularly, remove unauthorised structures obstructing waterways without fear or favour, and strictly enforce city planning laws.
According to her, investing in preventive measures would save lives and reduce the enormous cost of rebuilding communities after disasters.
She appealed to government, local authorities, traditional leaders, civil society organisations and all Ghanaians to work together to build safer, cleaner and more resilient communities.
Ms Dzitse-Awuku stressed that the country must not wait for another rainy season to revisit the same challenges, emphasising that every life lost to flooding was one too many.
She offered prayers for bereaved families and those who had lost their homes and property, expressing hope that the nation would be spared further tragedies.
“The Ghana we develop today will be our safe haven tomorrow,” she stated.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
