Accra, Oct 31 Dr Hanson Arthur, Senior Consultant at Farrelly Mitchell Business Consultants Limited, has called for the development of a national roadmap to align Ghana‘s packaging regulations with emerging European Union (EU) standards to safeguard the country’s agri-food exports.
He said the roadmap would provide a coordinated framework to help manufacturers, exporters, and regulators adapt to the EU’s new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and the revised Bisphenol A (BPA) rules, both scheduled to take effect from July 2026.
Speaking at a stakeholder validation workshop in Accra, Dr Arthur said a study conducted by Farrelly Mitchell, commissioned by COLEAD (formerly COLEACP) revealed low awareness and limited testing capacity in Ghana regarding the new EU requirements.
Get the latest news, updates by joining our WhatsApp channel here: Join on WhatsApp.
“Our findings show that awareness about these emerging regulations is still very low, and the country currently lacks the capacity to test for substances like BPA in packaging materials. This underscores the need for a national roadmap that brings together policymakers, industry players, and consumers to ensure both regulatory compliance and consumer safety,” he stated.
The EU’s new rules aim to enhance recyclability, composability, reusability, and traceability of packaging materials while restricting the use of hazardous chemicals such as BPA — a compound known to disrupt endocrine systems.
Dr Arthur warned that non-compliance could threaten Ghana’s access to the EU market, one of the country’s major export destinations for agri-food products such as fruits and vegetables. However, he said the EU’s objective was not to restrict trade but to promote sustainable and safe packaging practices.
“The EU works with third countries to enable, not to oppose, their businesses. Just as it supported Ghana when our vegetable exports faced bans in 2014, collaboration and preparedness will again be key to ensuring that our exporters remain competitive,” he said.
He urged the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ghana Standards Authority, Environmental Protection Agency, and private sector players to coordinate efforts to raise awareness, strengthen laboratory testing capacity, and establish clear packaging guidelines.
Dr Arthur added that aligning with EU standards would not only protect exports but also safeguard local consumers.
“It is not just about exporting to the EU. We must also be concerned about the safety of packaging materials used here in Ghana. Ghanaians too deserve packaging that is safe and environmentally friendly,” he said.
Mr Stephen Awuah, Regional Director for West Africa at Farrelly Mitchell, said the workshop aimed to validate the study’s findings, raise stakeholder awareness, and collect inputs to be shared with EU authorities through COLEAD.
He emphasised that achieving compliance with the new packaging standards would require coordinated action among government, industry, and research institutions.
“The stakes are high, but so too is our capacity to innovate, adapt, and lead,” Mr Awuah said.
Farrelly Mitchell is a Dublin-based agri-food consulting firm with operations in the UK, North Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
