The nation yesterday joined the rest of the globe to commemorate this year’s World Food Day with the hoisting of flags on the premises of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), in Accra.

The Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, Yaw Frimpong Addo, hoisted the Ghana flag, while the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Representative in Ghana, Priya Gujadhur, and the World Food Programme Representative and Country Director, Aurore Rusiga, jointly raised the UN flag.

The event was on the theme: “The right to food for better life and better future, leave no one behind.”

Significance

The FAO sets aside October 16, every year to commemorate the day which was established in 1945, to raise awareness of global hunger and also promote action against worldwide hunger and malnutrition.

Since its inception, the day has been observed in over 150 countries, making it one of the most widely celebrated events on the UN calendar.

It serves as a reminder of the importance of food security and the global commitment to ending hunger.

The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Bryan Acheampong, whose speech was read by Mr Addo, said the country’s food production and food security were heavily influenced by regional disparities and climate conditions.

“Food production remains predominantly rain-fed, and while the southern sector of the country remains relatively favourable with two farming seasons, the northern regions struggle with erratic rainfall and longer dry periods,” he said.

Dr Acheampong said available records indicated that only about one per cent of cultivated land in the country was irrigated, making farming highly dependent on rainfall.

He said the ministry had instituted a number of interventions, such as Planting for food and Jobs (PFJ) 2.0, to support large-scale food production in the Afram Plains Economic Enclave (Ashanti and Eastern).

“In the north, construction works and land development around 19 irrigation sites is also being undertaken. The Food Systems Resilience Programme, Tree Crops Development Authority and the Emergency Support for Rural Livelihood and Food Systems have all been designed to accommodate climate-smart agric programmes,” the minister added.

In a speech read on her behalf, the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Hawa Koomson, said there was the need for a collective action to ensure that “we meet our food and nutritional dietary needs for national development”.

Ms Koomson said the fisheries and aquaculture sector contributed significantly to achieving national food and nutrition security.

Right to food

Ms Gujadhur said the theme represented one of the most fundamental human rights, the right to food, which underlined the critical role diverse and nutritious food played in building resilience in the agrifood system that could withstand global challenges.

She paid glowing tribute to smallholder farmers who play a leading role in food production globally.

“Yet in spite of this abundance, over 730 million people worldwide still go hungry, while three billion people cannot afford a healthy diet,” Ms Gujadhur said, adding that the situation had forced some families to choose cheaper foods for survival.

For her part, Ms Rusiga said the WFP believed that everyone should have access to safe and nutritious food, a fundamental right recognised by the UN.

She said in Ghana, “many communities still face barriers to accessing nutritious food due to challenges such as climate change, rising food prices or social economic disparities”.