A SEED TO SPOON AGRITOURISM TRAIL IN GHANA'S VOLTA REGION
The foods presented at the Ghanaian table are as colorful and vibrant as the clothing and people
Ghana is a nation that is managing to modernize without westernizing its food culture. This self-guided experiential program is an introduction to traditional Ghanaian Culture and History of Food and Agriculture. Immerse yourself in the diversity of local cultures by exploring traditional and ancestral food and agricultural practices across different communities surrounding Ho, the capital of Ghana’s Volta Region.
By combining agriculture and tourism, visitors can learn more about agricultural production, processing, and local culture. This unique combination of tourism and agriculture industries provides several financial, educational, and social benefits to tourists, producers, and communities.
Each community is a short travel from Ho and makes for an excellent half-day trip. In some cases, multiple towns can be visited in a single day. Agritourists will travel by road, experiencing food at its source by collecting, making and tasting a curated menu of culturally meaningful foods. Experience the communities and their agriculture and culinary cultures through guided cooking & tasting experiences, hands-on making of regional dishes, traditional food and culture ceremonies.
Put your experience into context through classes and workshops with local experts on food history and food anthropology of Ghana with a focus on traditional foodstuffs, such as palm, coffee, cocoa, and groundnuts, and their preparation, preservation, and consumption. The selected program locations are Ho, Kpenoe, Wegbe-Kpalime, Adaklu-Waya, Hodzo-Achianse, and Ziavi-Dzogbe.
REGION SPOTLIGHT
Ghana’s Volta Region
Ghana is considered the “Gateway to Africa” for its strategic position in the Gulf of Guinea. The nation has a long stable democracy and healthy economy. Ghana is a safe all-weather travel destination where crime and unrest rates are lower than most Western nations. The people are extremely hospitable to tourists.
The Regional Capitol is the city of Ho, with a population of approximately 177,000. Ho is the largest city in the Volta Region, which is located in the southeast area of Ghana. The Volta Region is bordered on the east by Togo, the west by Lake Volta, and the south by the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean.
The Volta Region is the Ghanaian home of the Ewe people, an ethnic and linguistic minority in Ghana with roots tracing back hundreds of years to areas of modern-day Nigeria and further east in Africa.
The economy of Ho is driven by agriculture, health care, education, and regional and national government, and The city of Ho hosts the annual Yam Festival, drawing visitors from around the country.
As in the rest of Ghana, governance and authority is shared between civil and elected officials and traditional leaders, particularly in neighboring villages.
Most residents of Ho identify themselves as Christian (predominantly Evangelical Presbyterian or Catholic), Muslim, or following traditional African beliefs as their faith.
Area Total 9,504 km2 (3,670 sq mi)
Population (2010 Census). Total 2,118,252
Density 220/km2 (580/sq mi)
GDP (PPP) Year2014 Per capita $3,974
GDP (Nominal) Year2014. Per capita $1,902