Editorial by Ghanaian Times: Clean water is foundation of food systems

Yesterday was marked globally as World Food Day (WFD) and the 43rd one since its establishment by the United Nations (UN) in 1979.

Celebrated every Octo­ber 16, it is connected to the establishment in Octo­ber 1945 of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and charged with the objective of eliminat­ing hunger and improving nutrition and standards of living by increasing agri­cultural productivity across the globe.

The Day is significant because it is an opportunity to recognise the global food systems and raise awareness about hunger, malnutrition, and poverty.

Others expand this to say that WFD encourages action for the future of food, people, and the environment and awareness of hunger.

While some people may consider the Day as one of those numerous celebra­tions, we want to join the rest of the world in saying it is a great reminder of how lack of food or hunger is making life miserable for unfortunate millions, if not billions, around the world.

Oftentimes, when we talk about food, some people have a limited view of it, as they think of carbo­hydrates like grains; pro­teins like meat and dairy products; vitamin sources like fruits; and fat and oils.

One important source of food which cannot be watched to go depleted or polluted is water, which is why we think the theme for WFD 2023, ‘Water is Life, Water is Food, Leave No One Behind’, is apt.

We wish to remind governments that much as such global themes are apt, they should be reminders of what the individual countries see as problems in those areas and resolve them or what strengths there are to be leveraged for improved food production and related issues.

This year’s theme, therefore, must interest Ghana the more because of some country-specific challenges, one of which is water pollution.

In a speech delivered on his behalf at an event to mark the Day yesterday in Accra, the country’s capital, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong, said among other things that this year’s theme seeks to draw attention to the survival of the human race and overall planetary health.

We wish to remind the minister that it is good for all of us to update ourselves on what is going on around the world but his ministry and its allies should focus on fighting everything that will under­mine agricultural activities in Ghana.

Today, galamsey is one big enemy of food pro­duction, security, and safety in the country because it is polluting water sources.

Other countries may have their water-related challenges in different ways though, but Ghana’s threatens food production and nutrition.

Water is the foundation of all food systems because even after producing the raw food, we need water to prepare it for con­sumption.

At the 2018 celebration of the WFD, the FAO Representative to Ghana and Regional Programme Leader for Africa, Dr. Abebe Haile-Gabriel, expressed optimism that Ghana could attain Zero Hunger by 2020 because of the government’s flag­ship “Planting for Food and Jobs”

We know this has not materialised for some reasons and that expec­tation can only cease to be a mirage, when the government checks all the challenges in the country’s food, particularly water pollution through galamsey and other negative activi­ties.