The United States (US) Ambassador to the United Nations (UN), Linda Thomas-Greenfield, says Ghana is now a leader on the African continent when it comes to food security and food systems.
“Despite some malnutrition challenges in parts of the north, Ghana is now a leader on this continent for food security and food systems. You have a strong base to build on,” she said.
Ms Thomas-Greenfield said this on Friday when she delivered a speech at the University of Ghana, Legon, on the theme “A vision for peace and food security in Africa.”
The lecture organised by the US Embassy in Ghana in collaboration with Imani Ghana, a think-tank, and the University was part of activities to mark her three-nation visit to Ghana, Uganda and Cape Verde.
The visit was to enable her to have first-hand information on food security issues in these three countries and discuss ways the US could help to build the capacity to address this global challenge.
“I have watched this country’s rapid and radical transformation — toward democracy, toward stability, toward food security, toward peace. Ghana is evolving and still has much more progress to make.
“In my mind, Ghana is nowhere near its peak. Ghana can supply even more local food. It can become an agribusiness hub. It can become a breadbasket for the world,” Ms Thomas-Greenfield said.
Although she said the potential of Ghana and the rest of the continent was extraordinary, she said the continent had been worst affected by the global food insecurity caused by high energy crises, climate change, COVID-19 and the Russian/Ukraine conflict.
She announced that Ghana would receive 2.5 million dollars in a new development assistance from the USA to boost the availability of fertilisers.
She said the additional funding would focus on developing and marketing innovative fertiliser products, and offer support to importers and manufacturers, including private sector partners, to bring more fertiliser into the country and ensure they reach the most vulnerable farmers.
The support, she said, was part of nearly 150 million dollars of new and additional humanitarian funding and development assistance, pending congressional approval, for Africa as the world battles food insecurity.
Ms Thomas-Greenfield said even before this additional aid, the US had been assisting more than 638,000 smallholder farmers in Ghana to adapt to price spikes by helping them use local fertiliser sources.
“We are also promoting the use of improved seeds that need less fertiliser, and encouraging the private sector and agribusiness partnerships that will bring the resources, the technology and the know-how to build up a farming infrastructure,” she said.
BY JONATHAN DONKOR
