Drought Threatens Ghana's Food Security: A call for urgent action

Ghana is currently facing severe drought due to erratic rainfall patterns driven by climate change. This climate crisis poses a significant threat to the nation's food security and nutritional well-being, demanding immediate attention and action.

Ghana's agricultural sector, which employs nearly half of our workforce and contributes significantly to our GDP, is facing unprecedented challenges. The current drought conditions are devastating our rain-fed farming systems, which form the backbone of our agricultural production.

Small-scale farmers, who are particularly vulnerable to these climate shocks, are witnessing their crops wither and yields plummet. The drought is severely impacting key staple crops such as maize, rice, millet, and sorghum as well as vegetable crops including tomato, pepper, okra etc. which are crucial for both household consumption and national food security. Farmers are currently experiencing significant yield reduction with some at the risk of total crop failure.

The crop losses are not just a matter of food availability; they have far-reaching economic consequences. Reduced crop yields mean lower incomes for farmers, increased food prices for consumers, and potential strain on the economy.

The impact of the drought extends beyond mere food availability to threaten the population's nutritional security. As crop failures limit food choices, many Ghanaians may be forced to rely on a less diverse diet, potentially leading to micronutrient deficiencies. The combination of reduced food availability and higher prices could push more families into food insecurity, potentially increasing rates of malnutrition, especially among children and vulnerable populations.

To address this crisis, a multi-faceted approach must be adopted to build resilience in our farming systems. These interventions include investing in drought-resistant crop varieties, improving irrigation systems in drought-prone areas, and the integration of sustainable farming practices into our farming systems.

Dr. Pearl Abu, a distinguished plant breeder at the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI), University of Ghana, is leading crucial research efforts to develop climate-resilient maize varieties capable of withstanding drought conditions. This work is particularly significant given maize's status as a major staple crop in the Ghanaian diet, making it essential for food and nutrition security.

As the team lead for the maize breeding program at WACCI, Dr. Abu leverages her exceptional breeding skills, knowledge, and experience to employ innovative technologies such as doubled haploid breeding. Her research group is also exploring new sources of drought tolerance genes, including landraces and farmers' local varieties, to enhance the climate resilience of their maize cultivars. This timely intervention aims to address the challenges posed by changing climate patterns and ensure sustainable maize production in Ghana.

Her research has led to the identification of drought tolerant landraces which can be further exploited in her breeding program for variety development. She has also identified some promising climate-resilient hybrid maize varieties which are currently undergoing further testing for release to farmers in the drought-prone regions of Ghana.

As Ghana strives to achieve food security in line with SDG Goal 2 ("End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture"), Dr. Pearl Abu is advocating for a collaborative approach to develop innovative solutions and scale up existing efforts.

She is urgently calling for strategic investments in agricultural research particularly the seed systems of staple crops to accelerate the development and deployment of improved crop varieties and agricultural technologies. Her call emphasizes the need for coordinated action among researchers, policymakers, farmers, and other stakeholders to address the complex challenges of food security in Ghana.

Dr. Abu's extraordinary expertise in plant breeding and her work on climate-smart maize varieties at WACCI highlights the importance of integrating scientific advancements with practical, sustainable agricultural practices to enhance food production and nutrition across the country.

Charles Nelimor

CSIR-Savanna Agricultural Research Institute