From Smoke to Safety: How FAO Is Transforming Fish Processing in Ghana

During a visit to the Food Research Institute in Ghana, a three-member delegation from the United States Congress saw firsthand how collaboration with FAO is improving livelihoods and food safety across the fisheries sector. The delegation, led by Representative Young Kim of California, was in the country on a privately funded learning visit and expressed strong appreciation for the interventions of the United Nations.

Fish is a staple food in Ghana, yet most processing still relies on traditional open-fire smoking. More than 30,000 women use mud ovens in open spaces, exposing themselves and their children to smoke and heat while producing fish that often fails to meet food safety standards. Fewer than 1 percent of processors have upgraded to improved ovens due to high costs, leaving over 80 percent of smoked fish with harmful smoke residues and limiting access to high-value and export markets.

FAO, working with the Fisheries Commission and the Food Research Institute, is changing this through the introduction of improved smoking ovens, food safety training, model processing facilities, stronger extension services, and better market linkages, including institutional buyers like the Ghana School Feeding Programme.

Across 10 communities in six regions, FAO now supports more than 4,000 processors. Women are working in cleaner, safer, child-friendly facilities, producing higher-quality fish, reducing losses, and increasing incomes. The new ovens use less fuel, reduce smoke, and support forest conservation. FAO has also trained 45 fisheries officers and established community learning platforms to sustain these gains.

Despite this progress, only a fraction of processors are currently reached. Scaling up these proven solutions, alongside improved access to credit, certification, cold storage, and business skills, can accelerate women’s economic empowerment, strengthen food safety, and protect natural resources.

The message from the visit was clear: these approaches work. With continued investment, Ghana’s fish processing sector can transition to modern, dignified workplaces that create decent jobs and deliver lasting gains in food security, nutrition, and livelihoods.

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