Bridging soybean yield gaps in Ghana: opportunities and challenges for sustainable smallholder production and livelihood

Introduction Soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr., is a globally important legume that supports food security, nutrition, and sustainable agricultural systems. Compared with cereal crops, soybean improves soil fertility through biological nitrogen fixation, induces suicidal Striga germination, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and enhances resource-use efficiency. Despite favorable agroecological conditions, Ghana’s soybean production remains well below its potential. Method and material This research systematically reviewed published literature on global and subregional soybean production, harvested area, and yield to identify gaps and limitations in Ghana’s soybean production systems. Results In Sub-Saharan Africa, soybean production is increasing primarily driven by harvested area expansion rather than yield improvement, with yield gap still lagging global averages by 46%. In Ghana, the annual soybean production is estimated at 300, 000 - 350, 000 tons, which represent about 26% of the country’s production potential, with a national demand exceeding 600, 000 tons. The national average yield is estimated at 1.85 t ha -1 while the potential yield is estimated at 3.0 tons per hectare. Ghana experiences gaps of 49%, 22%, and 38% in production, area harvested, and yield, respectively. The supply deficit drives import dependence and vulnerability to global price fluctuations. Key constraints identified include climate variability, limited cultivar diversity, low mechanization, suboptimal agronomic practices, weak market integration, and inadequate policy support. Discussion Global soybean production has achieved relatively high yields driven by widespread adoption of improved technologies, advanced breeding programs, mechanization, and precision agronomic practices. However, yields in Sub-Saharan Africa and Ghana, remain substantially lower, highlighting persistent yield gap. Addressing this gap requires a multi-pronged strategy. Support for breeding programs for improved, high-yielding and stress-tolerant cultivars, climate-smart agronomic practices, conservation agriculture, and integrated soil fertility management. Supportive policies such as increased access to appropriate mechanization, strengthened agricultural extension and advisory services, market frameworks that incentivize production and reduce risks for smallholder farmers are required. Conclusion Closing Ghana’s soybean yield gap is critical given rising population, dietary shifts toward plant-based proteins, and expansion of the feed industry. Addressing yield gap limitations can enhance productivity, reduce import reliance, promote sustainable livelihoods, support economic growth, and contribute to a resilient and sustainable food system.