Ghana’s growing dependence on food imports, rising rates of diet-related diseases and mounting climate threats have triggered fresh calls for a transformation of the country’s food system as policymakers, health experts, businesses and civil society groups gather in Accra for a national dialogue on food resilience.
The workshop, titled “Ghana’s Journey Towards Food System Resilience: A Roadmap to Address the Climate and Health Crisis, Build Nutrition Security, Food Sovereignty, and Economic Development,”is being organized by The Root Alliance in collaboration with the Office of the Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability.
Organizers say the event seeks to examine how Ghana can build a food system capable of withstanding climate shocks while improving public health, strengthening local food production and creating economic opportunities.
The discussions come at a time when Ghana’s food system is facing multiple challenges.
According to a concept note for the workshop, the country spends about US$400 million annually on poultry imports, a situation experts say weakens economic sovereignty, drains resources from local economies and increases dependence on foreign markets.
The document further warns that climate change is threatening Ghana’s staple crops. In the Fanteakwa District, yields of cassava and plantain have already declined by 16 percent, while current trends in Northern Ghana suggest complete crop failure could occur once every five years.
Agriculture, while remaining a critical pillar of the national economy, is also a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. The sector contributes 19 percent to Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product and employs about one-third of the workforce. However, agriculture and land-use change account for 44.6 percent of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, with livestock production responsible for nearly half of all methane emissions.
