Exploring the Intersection of Fintech and Governance in Promoting Sustainable Agribusiness Practices in Ghana ^†

The agricultural sector remains a vital component of Ghana’s economy, significantly contributing to employment, food security, and national GDP. However, small-scale farmers and agribusinesses face obstacles like limited financial access, inefficient markets, and weak governance. The rise of fintech presents an opportunity to enhance financial inclusion, market efficiency, and sustainability in agribusiness. Although these advantages exist, the adoption of fintech in Ghana’s agricultural sector is still restricted because of governance-related challenges like regulatory ambiguity, cybersecurity threats, and a lack of institutional backing. This research explores the overlap between fintech and governance in fostering sustainable agribusiness practices in Ghana, offering empirical proof of how digital financial solutions aid agricultural development. Utilizing a time series dataset that covers the years 2000 to 2022, the Vector Auto-Regression (VAR) estimator was applied to examine the link between the adoption of fintech, the quality of governance, and the sustainability of agribusiness. The main variables analyzed consist of agricultural land, mobile cellular subscriptions, crop production index, individuals accessing the internet, regulatory quality [1]. The results underscore the importance of a comprehensive strategy that merges financial technology with strong governance systems to guarantee lasting sustainability and resilience in Ghana’s agricultural industry. For instance, the findings show that mobile payment systems and digital loan options greatly improve farmers’ credit accessibility and lower transaction expenses. Moreover, fintech’s impact on Ghana’s agribusiness is hindered by infrastructure gaps, limited digital skills among rural farmers, and inconsistent policy enforcement. Effective governance frameworks with regulatory transparency, cybersecurity, and stakeholder inclusion are essential to unlocking its full potential. Policy measures like government-driven investments in rural digital infrastructure, the rollout of specific fintech education initiatives for farmers, and the establishment of fintech-agribusiness collaborations to assist smallholder farmers are recommended. Furthermore, encouraging partnership among fintech companies, agricultural cooperatives, and financial regulators can establish an inclusive environment where technological advancements promote sustainable agricultural development in Ghana.