Stakeholders review progress report on food security

A stakeholders’ validation workshop has been held in Accra to discuss the Annual Report on the New Alliance Co-operative Framework Agreement that aim at improving food security and nutrition in Ghana.

Participants are to assess progress on commitments of various stakeholders made up of government, development partners, civil society and non-governmental organisations towards increasing agricultural investment in the country.

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) in collaboration with USAID is hosting the meeting which would afford participants the opportunity to dialogue on the next steps to be taken to consolidate successes achieved and make improvements where necessary to improve food and nutrition security.

Africa Lead and the Regional Strategic Analysis and Knowledge Support System West Africa are also supporting to host the workshop.

Mr Daniel Ohemeng-Boateng, the Director of Policy, Planning and Budget Directorate at MOFA, who represented the Sector Minister, explained that the various stakeholders made commitments in 2012 under the New Alliance and Grow Africa Initiative on what each entity would do to ensure food sustainability in the area of seed for planting, access to land and the adoption of best agricultural practices.

He said so far all the various actors had carried out programmes and activities as part of their commitments towards the New Alliance that follows the new model for development that support country-driven approaches to development.

This includes inputs and collaboration from local organisations and leaders to ensure lasting results for smallholder farmers.

He said Ghana on her part had put in place policies and laws as its commitment to support the seed policy and that a new regulation was being designed to help in the implementation of the seed policy.

“Within the framework of the New Alliance, the Government of Ghana is committed to improve policy and procedures related to seed and fertilizer, increase access to agricultural lands that will improve the investment climate in the sector and improve the level of agriculture data available for public and private sector decision making,” he said.

Mr Ohemeng-Boateng explained that the new regulation would ensure that the breeders’ seed, foundation seed and certified seeds are all regulated under the new policy so farmers could access the seeds in all ECOWAS countries.

Mr Brian Conklin, the Deputy Director at the Economic Growth Office of USAID Ghana, said through the collaboration, some progress had been achieved in the areas of agricultural innovation, technology and investment.

However, he said, much needed to be done in the area of land acquisition for farming and activities while a more conducive climate needed to be provided for private sector participation in agricultural production.