On the occasion of World Food Day 2025, celebrated under the global theme ‘’Hand in Hand for Better Food and a Better Future,’’ EcoCare Ghana is calling on all Ghanaians, the government, the Private Sector, Civil Society, farmers and communities to unite in safeguarding the nation’s food systems through sustainable agricultural practices.
We note with concern Ghana’s growing dependence on imported foods. Data from the Ghana Statistical Service estimates that in 2024, Ghana spent about GHC38 billion on food importation to meet local demands. Despite the high dependence on imported foods, Ghana wastes about 3.2 million tonnes of locally produced foods, equivalent to GHC 762 billion annually due to lack of proper storage systems, bad infrastructure among other factors. These challenges, coupled with the adverse impacts of illegal mining (galamsey), climate change, and deforestation, threatens national food security and sovereignty. The recent overtaking of Ghana by Ecuador as the world’s second-largest cocoa producer must be a wake-up call to restore our agricultural integrity and enhance environmental protection.
We emphasise that, ‘’Food security begins with protecting the land, and if we continue degrading our forests and polluting our rivers, we will not only lose our food systems but also our future.’ We urge policymakers to prioritize:
- Investment in irrigation and storage facilities to reduce post-harvest losses.
- Promote climate-smart and sustainable agriculture.
- Enforce the laws against illegal mining and deforestation.
- Empowerment of women and youth in agriculture for innovation and equity.
We also encourage Ghanaians to observe World Food Day through practical community initiatives such as tree planting, school gardens, and awareness campaigns on food waste reduction. EcoCare Ghana reaffirms its commitment to working hand in hand with stakeholders to build a resilient, equitable, and sustainable food system that supports Ghana’s food security and sovereignty.
We reiterate our call on the government to “Stop Galamsey, save our rivers, to feed our future.”.
