Mr Cyril T.
Quist, Brong Ahafo Regional Director of Agriculture, has said
mining and biofuel production in the country posed a threat to
agriculture.
He said
efforts at promoting sustainable food systems were in danger if current
practices where vast tracks of land were sold or leased for mining and
production of biofuel were not stopped.
Speaking at
a ceremony to mark World Food Day at Nsawkaw, he said this could pose a
potential risk to food security thus exacerbating hunger and poverty because
the practice only destroyed the ability of the soil to support crop production.
It also
contributed to the destruction of water bodies vital for agricultural
production and eventually affect food security and lead to hunger and poverty.
Mr Quist
said because of weak food systems, land productivity had increased more than
labour productivity in agriculture and this was inimical to growth in incomes.
However, he
said, sustainable food systems would allow more attention to be given to market
access and improving standards in local markets for food safety.
Mr Quist
said improving food security would enable the poor to earn money and become
more resilient which in turn would enable them to participate in economic
activities and contribute to social development and needs, including health and
education.
He said
improving food security by investing in agricultural productivity,
infrastructure, social protection and the opening of markets were vital to
sustainable development.
On food
production in the Region, Mr Quist said to promote sustainable food systems
MoFA had promoted the development of commodity value chains, to increase
incomes of farmers to reduce the level of poverty among cassava farmers.
Farmers
under the Root and Tuber Improvement and Marketing Programme (RTIMP) are being
supported with improved cassava planting materials and extension advice to
increase cassava production.
Processing
centres have been upgraded into Good Practice Centres (GPC) where issues of
hygiene have been improved to result in quality output, while linkages have
been established between producers and processors to create dedicated market
for cassava producers.
Ms Christina
Amarchey, Programme Manager of ActionAid Ghana (Brong Ahafo Region), expressed
concern that more than three million children across the world died each year
from not getting enough of the right food to eat, while many more
children suffer from undernourishment, which affect their mental and physical
developments.
She called on
Women in Agricultural Development (WIAD) of MoFA to intensify their education
on the importance of healthy balanced diets, and promote the production of more
animal source foods.
Source: GNA
