REGIONAL & GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY ARCHITECTURE

GHANA`S INITIATIVES

PRESENTATION BY:ASANTE-KROBEA EMMANUEL

DIRECTOR OF CROPS SERVICES - MINISTRY OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE – GHANA

MAIN FEATURES OF GHANA`S AGRICULTURE

• Typifies SSA agricultural setting• It’s the largest sector of the Ghanaian economy• Contributes 34% GDP• Employs about 56.2% about 13million people.• Contributes about 35% of foreign exchange.• The sector comprises food and industrial

crops(59%), cocoa(14%), L`stock(5%), Fisheries(11%) & Forestry(11%).

• Smallholders-:0.5-2Ha produce 80% Total output

Challenges to Agric. Production Agriculture in Ghana(SSA) is characterized by low Productivity as a result of the following:• Reliance on rain-fed agriculture, • Low level and low performing irrigation schemes in

the face of climate change, • Land degradation and Tenure Challenges • High On-Farm postharvest losses coupled with

Inadequate Postharvest Storage infrastructure • Low level and ineffective agricultural finance,• Inadequate extension services as a result of

several structural and institutional challenges,

Challenges Cont…• Inadequate markets and processing facilities, • Low performing indigenous breeds of livestock

and poor husbandry practices, • Competition from imports • Inappropriate management of livestock products • Overfishing of natural water bodies coupled with

undeveloped fish value chains and inadequate skills in aquaculture.

• Weak response of Research to current challenges • Under-developed feeder road network

POLICY DIRECTION

LONG TERM FOOOD AND AGRICULTURAL SECTOR DEVELOPMENT POLICY(FASDEP)

MEDIUM TERM (5 years)-2011-2015MEDIUM TERM AGRIC. SECTOR INVESTMENT POLICY(METASIP)

Consistent with CCADP to achieve the MDGs

INFRASTRUCTUREProvision of Irrigation Schemes• Rehabilitations of existing Schemes• Developing New Schemes • Provision of Pumps(subsidized)• Exploration of Underground Water

SOME INTERVENTIONS TO ACHIEVE FOOD SECURITY

INFRASTRUCTURE (contd..)

Provision of Postharvest Storage infrastructure • Provision of Appropriate Machinery• On-farm storage structures (e.g. Narrow Cribs)• Rehabilitation of Bulk Silos• Introduction on other storage TechnologiesProvision of Markets• National Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO)

INFRASTRUCTURE (contd..)

Development of Road Networks• Various Government

Budget Funded Initiatives and Donor/Bilateral Projects

LAND TENURE ISSUES

• Land Policy consists of a comprehensive set of proposals for improving access to land, ensuring security of tenure and protection of land rights, and ensuring planned land use (LAP).

• Policy strategies currently in place are the establishment of land banks to enhance access, enforcing title registration to ensure security, and development and establishment of land use plans at the district, regional and national levels.

PROVISION OF SERVICES

• Extension Services• Agricultural

Mechanization Services (AMSEC- 170)• Market Information

Services (Radio, TV, Mobile phone etc)

• Development of Value Chains

PROVISION OF FINANCIAL SERVICES

• Micro Credit Schemes (Projects, ADIF, OVCF)

• Input Credit Support Schemes (Block Farms and Youth in Agriculture)

• Price Support Schemes(Fertilizer subsidy)

RESPONSIVE RESEARCH

• Support to Research Development– Planting Material– Breed Improvement– Food Processing and Preservation

CONDUCIVE POLICY ENVIRONMENT

• Responsible and responsive regulatory frameworks(eg Bio-safety regulations etc)

• Conducive non-discriminatory Trade, Price & Subsidies Policies

• Public Security and the Rule of Law• Gender Equity

RESULTS OBTAINED

• Ghana has made great strides in achieving National Food Security and Agricultural Development

• These achievements attest to the need for sustained prioritization and increased investment.

• The progress made by Ghana from 1985 to date have been endorsed by the international community through a number of awards, key amongst which are;

RESULTS OBTAINED…– The Hunger Project’s “1993 Africa Prize for Leadership

for the Sustainable End of Hunger”; – “FAO’s Agricola Medal 2000” for outstanding efforts in

the promotion of sustainable food production and the eradication of poverty; and

– “2011 World Food Prize” awarded jointly to Ghana and Brazil for food security and poverty reduction.

• Underpinning these international recognitions is the acknowledged role of the smallholder farmer and women in food production, processing, family nutrition and ultimately Food Security. These Actors, should be our Focus of Investment.

CONCLUSION

• Ghana is Committed to Continue Investing in Agriculture

• Harnessing all Resources and Instituting Measures to Utilize its Oil Revenue to fund Agriculture and Sustain Food and Nutrition Security

• Africa can attain Food security ONLY if we put our MINDS to it and COMMIT ADEQUATE RESOURCES to the Key Actors in the FOOD PRODUCTION CHAIN and Ensuring Sound POLITICAL STABILITY in the Region

THANK YOU