The Government of Ghana will mainstream agroecological practices under its flagship Feed Ghana Programme to strengthen food security and promote sustainable food systems, Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang has announced.

The policy direction was outlined in a keynote address delivered on the Vice President’s behalf by the Chief of Staff at the Office of the Vice President, Alex Segbefia, at the opening of the CIRAWA International Conference on Agroecology and Nature-Based Solutions for Sustainable Food Systems in Africa in Accra. Mr. Segbefia also officially declared the conference open on behalf of the Vice President.

The conference, organised under the CIRAWA (Agroecological Solutions for Resilient Farming in West Africa) initiative, has brought together policymakers, researchers, development partners, farmers, civil society organisations and private sector actors from across Africa and beyond to examine how agroecology and nature-based solutions can strengthen resilient food systems and support sustainable agricultural development.

In the address, the Vice President said the Government was committed to promoting and mainstreaming agroecological practices through its flagship Feed Ghana Programme as part of the country’s wider agricultural transformation agenda.

“The Government of Ghana has committed, through its flagship Feed Ghana Programme, to promoting and mainstreaming agroecological practices as part of the country’s wider agricultural transformation agenda,” she stated.

She explained that the four-year programme, being implemented by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, would promote crop diversification, agroforestry, improved soil fertility management, the production and use of bio-fertilisers and bio-pesticides, farmer-led irrigation, simple mechanisation and the use of local and high-yielding seed varieties to strengthen seed security.

The Vice President noted that despite decades of investment by governments and development partners, the production and consumption of adequate, nutritious, safe and affordable food remain a major challenge across Africa and beyond.

She observed that although conventional agricultural practices had helped avert hunger across the world, they had also contributed to widespread environmental degradation, making it necessary to pursue more sustainable approaches to food production.

“We must not only halt this destruction; degraded ecosystems must also be rehabilitated and restored. Agroecology and nature-based solutions are proven approaches for halting the physical, chemical and biological degradation of ecosystems, and for restoring their integrity,” she said.

The Vice President also called for the development of a National Agroecology Strategy and comprehensive training for agricultural researchers and extension officers to support the wider adoption of agroecological practices across the country.

She further urged researchers, policymakers and development partners to address key questions surrounding the scalability of agroecological practices, including their ability to meet the food needs of Africa’s growing population and support industrial development.

She expressed confidence that the conference would produce useful outcomes to move food and agriculture across the continent towards greater resilience and sustainability.

The CIRAWA International Conference on Agroecology and Nature-Based Solutions for Sustainable Food Systems in Africa serves as a platform for governments, researchers, development partners, farmers and civil society organisations to share knowledge, exchange experiences and develop policy recommendations to advance agroecological and nature-based solutions for sustainable food systems in West Africa.