By Stephen Asante
Accra, Oct. 16, GNA – About 43.5 per cent of Ghanaians experience moderate to severe food insecurity, while 65 per cent cannot afford a healthy diet, Professor Anna Lartey, a nutritionist, has said.
She said rural communities bore a greater burden of food insecurity, while poor diet quality continued to undermine nutrition and development outcomes.
Prof. Lartey made the remarks during a presentation at the 2026 World Food Day commemoration in Accra, where she called for urgent action to transform Ghana’s food systems.
“The diet quality still remains a concern. We are failing not only on our nutrition, but we are also undermining school performance, productivity, and long-term economic growth.” she cautioned.
Prof. Lartey said Ghana needed to implement its commitments under the 2021 United Nations Food Systems Summit to improve food security and nutrition.
Those commitments included developing food-based dietary guidelines to guide healthy eating, increasing fruit and vegetable production, and reducing food losses.
“These commitments will require us to build innovation in every aspect of our food systems,” she advised.
Prof. Lartey urged the Government to work with stakeholders to promote the cultivation and consumption of indigenous foods, describing them as nutrient-dense, climate-resilient and affordable.
She also called for investment in research and innovation to address food waste.
“A system that discards nutritious food while farmers and children’s families go hungry is a broken system,” she stated.
Mr Ayman Omer, an official of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), which organised the event, said the Organisation was working with Ghanaian authorities to address challenges hindering the development of the country’s food systems.
Prof. Dorothy Yeboah Manu, Director of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, which hosted the event, said the Institute was pleased to support the World Food Day celebration.
She said its research scientists would continue collaborating with food-based organisations to develop innovative food systems that prioritised nutrition.
Mr Zia Choudhury, the UN Resident Coordinator in Ghana, commended participants at the food exhibition for showcasing the variety of indigenous foods.
Organisations represented at the event included the Ghana Food Movement, Food for All Africa, the Ghana Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Blue Skies and the Ghana School Feeding Programme.
The celebration was held on the theme, “Innovate Today. Nourish Tomorrow”.
Activities included a dialogue session, a cooking competition for young Ghanaian chefs, a UN leaders’ kitchen experience, promotion of Ghanaian cuisine and discussions on sustainable agrifood systems.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey
Reporter: Stephen Asante
Email: [email protected]