The government has intensified efforts to ensure national food security and rural empowerment with the distribution of 500,000 dual-purpose Kuroiler birds to smallholder farmers, particularly women, single mothers, and persons with disabilities.

The initiative, launched under the Feed Ghana Programme (FGP), forms part of a broader strategy to promote climate-smart poultry production, improve household nutrition, and boost livelihoods in rural communities.

The Feed Ghana Programme, a flagship intervention of the government, aims to achieve self-sufficiency in food and nutrition security through increased productivity, strengthened value chains, and job creation, especially for the youth and women.

Speaking at this year’s World Food Day celebration in Accra, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr Eric Opoku, said the theme for the celebration, “Hand in Hand for Better Food and a Better Future,” aligned with the government’s vision to achieve self-sufficiency in food and nutrition security.

He explained that the FGP, a flagship component of the government’s food systems agenda, was being implemented to increase productivity, strengthen value chains, and empower youth and women through sustainable agribusiness ventures.

Mr Opoku disclosed that young people in 56 districts across six regions were currently undergoing training in digital agriculture, climate-smart farming, and financial literacy to prepare them to drive the next generation of agricultural innovation.

The government, he said, was expanding mechanisation and irrigation infrastructure nationwide and establishing Farmers’ Service Centres in every region to provide inputs, machinery, and technical training to improve productivity.

The Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Mrs Emilia Arthur, underscored the crucial role of the fisheries sector in ensuring food and nutrition security.

She said the sector sustained the livelihood of over three million Ghanaians and provided about 60 per cent of the animal protein consumed nationwide.

Mrs Arthur noted that the Ministry had taken bold steps to enhance sustainability and productivity through the passage of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2025 (Act 1146), which replaced Act 625; the development of the National Blue Economy Strategy; and Cabinet approval for the establishment of a Marine Protected Area at Greater Cape Three Points in the Western Region.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation Country Representative, Ms Priya Gujadhur, said this year’s celebration was significant as it coincided with FAO’s 80th anniversary.

Over the decades, she said, FAO had worked with member states, including Ghana, to eradicate diseases such as rinderpest, improve global food safety standards, and promote resilience through sustainable agriculture.

She reaffirmed FAO’s continuous collaboration with Ghana in promoting sustainable cocoa agroforestry, fisheries and aquaculture development, food-based dietary guidelines, and climate-smart agriculture.

“As FAO turns 80, we reaffirm our commitment to work hand in hand with Ghana to accelerate progress towards zero hunger, ensure decent livelihoods for farmers, and protect our environment for generations to come,” Ms Gujadhur said.

BY CECILIA YADA LAGBA AND CHELSEALINA ASANTE