Junior Researcher

Dr. Martha Adimabuno Awo
 
 
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Marketing and market queens: a case of tomato farmers in the Upper East Region of Ghana

The paper examines the potential of the Ghanaian tomato sub-sector in the Upper East Region of Ghana in creating employment and generating incomes for poor farmers. This region is of special interest because it is the only one in the country that produces the nation’s fresh tomatoes in the dry season. The paper reviews the effects of the trade policies at three markets levels; global, regional and local, additionally, it explores the interactions of the increasing number of actors who play exploitative roles, to the disadvantage of farmers. It provides explanations of how Tomato Market Queens (TMQs) have taken advantage of the loopholes created in the market policies to assume powerful positions against the background of a ‘strong association’ and employ monopolistic market strategies. The reproduced power relations show an interesting dynamic of networks combined with special relations some actors adopt to achieve their interest. This illustrates the approaches of some actors in contesting their positions and to gain the favor of those from whom they enjoy power. Regardless of these complex realities, the tomato sector continue to attract an increasing number of farmers despite the fact that the exploitative networks of powerful actors denies them of high incomes.
Department ZEF A: Department of Political and Cultural Change
Research areas - Globalization and International Trade
- Growth, Inequality and Poverty
- Social and Cultural Diversity
Research countries - Burkina Faso
- Ghana
Research topic Actors Interest and collective action, the difficulties of Tomato Marketing in Northern Ghana
Projects GLOWA VOLTA
Working groups Political and Cultural Change
Affiliation of research IWMI. Ghana,
Ministry of Food and agriculture: Ghana,
Ministry of Trade and Induxtry, Ghana.
Private website http://marthawo@yahoo.com
Funding institutions German Federal Ministry of education and Research
Degrees 2007, Masters (Second Degree) in Rural Livelihoods and Global Change, (ISS), The Netherlands.

2002, Bachelor (First Degree) Agricultural extension, University of cape Coast, Ghana

1998, Diploma in Renewable Natural Resource management, university of Science and technology, Ghana
Financially supported by BMBF
Cooperation partners IWMI Ghana
Ministry of Food and Agriculture (Ghana)
Ministry of Trade and Industry (Ghana)
Publications

Martha Awo. 2008. Erratic Rains and Erratic Markets: Environmental change, economic globalisation and the expansion of shallow groundwater irrigation in West Africa. 1-19.
Further Information: www.zef.de/workingpapers.0.html

Awo M.. 2007. Tomato marketing in Northern Ghana:Risky business or a way out of poverty. 1-78.

Awo, M., S. Gerke and W. Laube. 0. Powerful queens, poor farmers: the realities of tomato marketing in Northern Ghana.

 
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