Patterns of systemic problems in Ghana's poultry value chain: A group model building approach

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Economics
• Systems Thinking
• Supply Chain Management

Background:

• Ghana's poultry sector faces interconnected systemic challenges.
• Current interventions often overlook unintended consequences across the value chain.
• A holistic approach is needed to understand and address industry-level and farm-level problems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine system archetypes emerging from Ghana's poultry sector problems.
• To analyze the interactions between inadequate research funding, biosecurity, credit access, and import competition.
• To identify unintended consequences of policies aimed at revitalizing the local poultry industry.

Main Methods:

• Participatory group model building process.
• Causal loop diagrams and feedback loop analyses.
• Stakeholder prioritization of four key systemic problems.

Main Results:

• Three problem archetypes identified: 'limit to growth,' 'out-of-control,' and 'success to the successful.'
• Inadequate funding and poor biosecurity lead to underachievement.
• Antimicrobial misuse and import surges contribute to industry collapse and 'success to the successful' dynamics.

Conclusions:

• Systemic problems in Ghana's poultry sector create negative feedback loops.
• The 'success to the successful' archetype benefits importers at the expense of domestic producers.
• Proposed solutions aim to mitigate unintended consequences and foster sustainable industry growth.