Accra, Sept 27, GNA – Corporate institutions and individuals have been called upon to partner the Ministry of Agriculture to put in place the needed infrastructure that will help ensure a resilient food system in Ghana.
Such a resilient system would also help the country to emphasise the importance of food, its wholesomeness, as well as the need to cut down waste, Mr Robert Patrick Ankobiah, Chief Director of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture has said.
He also emphasised the need to work towards achieving food sufficiency in staples like maize and rice that all Ghanaians love to eat throughout the country, stating that the country needed to prioritise, protect and promote these staples.
Mr Ankobiah made the remarks on Monday when the Amen Amen Institute, a non-governmental organisation, presented a cash of GHC10,000 to the Ministry to support the celebration of the annual World Food Day event, which would be marked on October 15, 2021.
Ghana would be joining other member states of the United Nations, to observe the 41st World Food Day on the theme: Our Actions are our future, Better Production, Better Nutrition, a Better Environment and a Better Life.”
Among the activities earmarked for the day are Television and Radio talk shows, Float and a flag raising ceremony to climax the event at the Faculty of School of Agriculture, University of Ghana.
Mr Ankobiah said the issue of food security must be a concern for everybody since food was an important tool for nourishment and development.
He described the Amen Amen Institute as a trusted partner since the period of the introduction of the World Food Day annual event, celebrated to create awareness on the need to ensure food security and nutrition.
He emphasised the need to strengthen such a partnership for the good of all Ghanaians.
“We need good food that ensure healthy growth and so the support the country is getting from the Amen Amen Institute is very well appreciated.
“But for the support that we have been receiving from you, perhaps we will not have been able to organise the event successfully and so seeing you here today again to do what you are known to do, is exciting and we are happy about it.
“I believe that we will continue with the same spirit of cooperation and work together to ensure that this year’s celebration like the ones before, is more successful.”
Mr Amen Amenreynolds Amen, Founder of the Institute, who was accompanied by Nii Abbey Mensah, Amen Amen’s Representative on the World Food Day National Planning Committee, expressed their commitment towards food in ensuring food security for the country.
He therefore commended successive governments for prioritising food production and for making efforts to involve the youth in agriculture.
Mr Amen urged more youth to get involved in agriculture production to ensure constant supply of food for both local consumption and for export.
He appealed to government to inject more support into food production in the area of technology and mechanised agriculture to boost production, stating that “Agriculture gives jobs, food and money.”
Mr Mensah on his part, said, the Institute had been made an honorary member to the World Food Programme and to the celebrations of the Day, because of its generous support towards the activities of the UN entity.
Therefore, the Amen Amen Institute as an autonomous body is resolved to help fight hunger and promote food security and nutrition, he stated.
GNA