Karan Chopra grew up in Ghana and is now helping the nation’s poorest farmers reap higher profits. GADCO, which Chopra cofounded, is now Ghana’s largest producer of rice; the farm loops in 1.000 impoverished local farmers, providing seeds and fertilizer, buying their crops and selling them in a global supply chain. The efficiencies possible in a large farm allow GADCO to add profit to the farmers’ bottom line. It is an integrated commercial rice producer that focuses on high-quality local output and the integration of out-growers into a modern value chain. By blending local knowledge with tested expertise and technology from successful rice growing regions around the world, GADCO is committed to building a competitive business that both serves local demand and matches global standards. Ghana relies indeed on imports for more than 70% of its rice consumption, and demand continues to grow along with urbanization and increased incomes. Most locally-produced rice is grown by smallholder farmers, and with limited access to modern seeds and inputs, productivity tends to be low. Additionally, the rice mills available to the typical farmer produce a large percentage of broken grains. These factors make it difficult for small farmers to compete with high-quality imports from the Americas and Asia.
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