By Edward Dankwah
Accra, Sept. 12, GNA – Dr Naalamle Amissah, Senior Lecturer, Department of Crop Science at the University of Ghana, says Africa can achieve food security while focusing on some indigenous crop species that are rich in nutrients and are better adapted to a climatic environment.
Dr Amissah who doubles as the West Africa Regional Hub Manager of Feed The Future Innovation Lab for Horticulture, said Africans had the capability to address their own challenges and achieve food security, such that it required more action and less discussion.
“We are aware of the issues and have insights into potential solutions, now, it is essential to translate these insights into concrete actions. We must focus on implementing practical steps and making progress toward our goals,” she added.
The Senior Lecturer was speaking at the 2024 Africa Food Systems Annual Summit which was organised by AGRA Ghana in partnership with the Africa Food Systems Forum in Kigali, Rwanda.
The forum brought together nearly 5000 diverse stakeholders, including world leaders, investors, academia, farmers’ organisations, and the private sector to collaborate in addressing the challenges regarding food systems across Africa and the globe.
Dr Amissah said it was essential to invest in research to improve yields, pest resistance, and nutritional value of indigenous crops, which included developing better farming practices and enhancing seed varieties.
She said indigenous fruits and vegetables in Africa played a crucial role in achieving food security, and that implementing climate-smart adaptation practices was essential for this goal.
“It is also important to address the management of agricultural by-products effectively,” she added.
She said they were exploring the conversion of palm kernel husks, palm fruit bunches, and rice husks into biochar to improve soil quality was ongoing, and that while various methods existed for soil enhancement, maintaining healthy soil was essential.
The Senior Lecturer added that inorganic fertilizers provided only short-term solutions and did not ensure long-term soil sustainability.
Dr Amissah said incorporating organic fertilizers, restoring soil health, and advancing indigenous crop species, many of which were rich in essential vitamins such as C, A, and B were crucial steps.
“We compare ourselves with mothers, fathers and grandparents in the village, they are healthy, the things that they are able to achieve and do we cannot even do half”
“I am optimistic that, similar to our proactive response during the COVID-19 pandemic where we sought remedies like ginger and embraced unconventional treatments such as inhaling neem vapour, there is a growing recognition of the importance of strengthening our immune system,” she stressed.
Mr Iddi Mohammed Faried, 2024 GoGettaz Agripreneur Winner, called for the need to promote and ensure that the African Continental Free Trade Area happened to open borders for free trade between African Countries.
“You know, currently we are at an African food forum so I believe that these are things that we really need to look at because it’s limiting the ability of us to market our products in other countries, there are just a few countries that are visa-free,” he added.
He also called for increased publicity of opportunities and funding available for stakeholders and ensured they reached across all African Countries.
Mr Faried said standardisation processes in various countries need to be made easier by engaging relevant bodies like the Foods and Drugs Authority and Ghana Standards Authority to try to reduce the duration of the processes involved.
GNA