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Some two million Ghanaians prone to food insecurity
Accra, May, 6, Ghanadot/GNA
- About two million Ghanaians are at risk of becoming food
insecure during lean season or at the onset of a shock, natural
or man-made disaster.
Another 1.2 million people are food insecure with limited access
to sufficient and nutritious food throughout the year, according
to a Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Analysis (CFSVA)
report.
According to the report launched in Accra on Wednesday, some
500,000 people in the rural areas of the three northern regions
were found to be at risk, whilst up to 1.5 million people living
in the remaining seven regions face a similar fate.
It said the Upper West Region, where 34 per cent of the
population is food insecure, is the most affected area, followed
by the Upper East Region with 15 per cent and the Northern
Region with 10 per cent.
The report attributed poverty, reliance on traditional and often
inefficient agricultural practices, limited markets for farm
produce, high food prices, lack of education and other hazards
such as adverse weather conditions as the main causes of food
insecurity in the country.
The CFSVA, the first nationwide food security baseline survey in
Ghana to provide an in-depth picture of food insecurity, was
conducted by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in
collaboration with the Ghana Statistical Service and other
partners.
The report, however, recommended immediate interventions to
address current malnutrition and ill-health among children and
women, expansion of preventive healthcare interventions,
strengthening of existing monitoring measures to detect
deterioration in peoples' welfare and food security at an early
stage, and the strengthening of community resilience to climate
change-related natural disasters.
Lisa Biederlack, leader of the research team, said in all, 3,851
households were interviewed in 321 communities.
She said on a national level, the most food-insecure people are
the small holder food crop farmers who represent a quarter of
the population and have an average daily income per capita below
the minimum daily wage of GH¢2.65 and the poverty threshold of
GH¢1.48.
She stressed the need to address the recommendations captured in
the findings to alleviate the sufferings of the people.
Mr Ismail Omer, WFP Representative in Ghana, said the survey
would guide and inform UN agencies, Non-Governmental
Organisations, development organizations and government
partners, on appropriate measures to take to support the most
vulnerable people.
He stressed the need to get to the root causes of the persisting
problem of food insecurity, if the Millennium Development Goals
are to be achieved.
Mr Emmanuel Akumatey Akuffo, Chief Director, Ministry of
Employment and Social Welfare, said the ministry could tap into
the database of the information to inform policy making and
decision.
He said the findings would also assist the ministry to expand
the LEAP into other state agencies and to offer information to
take immediate action on the programme for improvement when
there are setbacks.
Mr Akuffo also announced that the LEAP would be extended to 54
additional districts this year and called on development
partners to team up with the government to achieve its success.
GNA
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