Planting for food and job policy: Include home gardening/backyard farming; Justice Phinehas to government

Planting for Food and Jobs is a flagship agricultural Campaign by the government, with five (5) implementation modules. As highlighted by MOFA, The five Modules are Food Crops (PFJ), Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD), Greenhouse Technology Villages (3 Villages), Rearing for Food and Jobs ( RFJ), and Agricultural Mechanization Services (AMSECs).

The first module Planting for Food and Jobs (Crops) aims to promote food security and immediate availability of selected food crops on the market and also provide jobs. This policy has been one of government's successful policies in the Akufo-Addo administration, thanks to the hardworking Ministers, farmers and everyone who has made it a success.

European Commission reported on "A Review of the Ghana Planting for Food and Jobs Program: 2017-2020" and it showed that PFJ contributed substantially to crop output growth.

Also according to the report on Assessment of the planting for Food and Jobs programme in Ghana by Caritas Ghana, Planting for Food and Jobs was found to be relevant in terms of responding to some of the priority concerns of small holder farmers.

The programme was also found to be on track towards achieving the intended objectives, with an overall performance of 75%. The report also recommended that there is a need for special targeting of vulnerable groups like women and youth, putting more responsibility on the CSOs who are closer to these vulnerable groups to mobilise them and help them overcome any entry barriers and take advantage of government opportunities such as the PFJs.

Despite the successes chopped by this policy, there is a crucial aspect of it that has become a barrier to many Ghanaians from taking advantage of this opportunity such as the PFJs. This policy targeted some particular population instead of all the population of the country.

How is it so? It neglected the individual who has a small arable land at the back of his house which can be turned into a farm. The government must review this PFJs policy by including backyard farming/home gardening.

As an individual who participated in the maiden edition of Ghana's Youth President reality tv show as the Minister for Food and Agriculture for the Yaa Asantewaa Cabinet, one of my key policies was encouraging backyard farming/home gardening.

"History has shown that gardening can be an important and practical part of a secure, healthy, and sustainable food supply system. A classic example is the recognition by the government of the United States that homegrown food was an important way to ensure an adequate food supply during World War II." (Nana Akyaa Akosa, 2011).

Home gardening/ backyard farming would not only help to provide for the small family, but also would help to reduce the pressure on the food commodities supplied to the market thereby reducing imports of some foods into the country.

This is the time for the Food and Agriculture Ministry to include home gardening or backyard farming in the PFJs, and provide the individual homes with their highly improved seeds, technical expertise, etc because the blessings will super-exceed the loses. May God bless our homeland Ghana.