Minister calls for urgent food system transformation amid climate and health concerns
Seidu Issifu, Minister of State in Charge of Climate Change and Sustainability, called for an urgent transformation of Ghana's food system on Monday in Accra. He warned that "climate change, rising food imports, environmental degradation and increasing diet-related diseases threaten national development."
The workshop, titled "Ghana's Journey Towards Food System Resilience," was organized by The Root Alliance in collaboration with the Office of the Minister of State in Charge of Climate Change and Sustainability. Mr. Issifu noted that agriculture contributes about 19 percent of Ghana's Gross Domestic Product and provides livelihoods for one in every three Ghanaians. He also stated that Ghana spends more than US$400 million annually on poultry imports alone. Agriculture and land-use change account for approximately 44.6 percent of the country's greenhouse gas emissions.
Mr. Issifu said that changing weather patterns are making staples such as cassava, yam and plantain increasingly vulnerable, citing declining yields in districts such as Fanteakwa and projections of severe crop failures in Northern Ghana under current climate trends. He also said that the country is grappling with the dual burden of undernutrition and rising non-communicable diseases.
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Minister Seidu Issifu is advocating for a revamp of Ghana's food system at a workshop in Accra. He warns of the intertwined risks of climate change, import dependence and diet-related diseases - but what does this mean for Ghana's future?
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