Second Lady calls for a return to ‘Operation Feed Yourself’

The Second Lady, Mrs. Matilda Amissah-Arthur, has said that there are economic benefits of eating what the country grows and there are a lot of health benefits to be derived from eating the many fresh and nutritious produce from Ghana.

Speaking at the launch of ‘Slow Foods’ 10,000 Gardens in Africa project’ in Ghana, Mrs AMissah-Arthur said the country must consider returning to ‘Operation Feed Yourself’ towards food security.

She was speaking on the theme: “The role of gardens in promoting a healthy food system and supporting the Ghana School Feeding Programme in achieving its 3rd objective of boosting domestic food production”.

She said ‘Operation Feed Yourself’, introduced in the 1970s by the Acheampong Regime, enabled Ghanaians to produce enough to feed the national demand. It opened job avenues in the agricultural sector," she added.

Mrs. Amissah-Arthur said government alone could not change the unemployment situation in the country, hence the need for the private sector to do its best to help curb the canker.

She expressed concern about the nation’s importation of some food stuff from neighbouring countries and the lack of growing diverse crops.

The Second Lady said investments in agriculture can also help Ghana reduce poverty by more than 50 per cent since most Ghanaians do farming.

She discouraged the decades-old dependency on imports. “There must be an attitude change now in Ghana.”

The wife of the Vice President said she personally prefers local rice and patronizes it because it gives nutritional value.

She, therefore, called on Ghanaians to help reduce the country’s dependency on imported foods especially rice; introduce young entrepreneurs to rice farming; motivate farmers, and at least promote local foods through local consumption and exports.

She further stated that she has a passion for farming and six months out the year, she eats from her vegetable farm because “it is safe to eat what you grow”.