Northern Ghana: EU launches €10 million project to address food security

The European Union (EU), the Government of Ghana (GoG) and the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization have launched a 10 million Euro project to support vulnerable populations grappling with food insecurity in Ghana’s northern regions.

More than 50,000 people will benefit from the three-year project. The EU-funded, FAO-led project will be strategically concentrated in the northern regions of Ghana, where it aims to achieve the following outcomes:

1. More economically sustainable and inclusive food systems: empowering communities to build resilient and profitable food production systems.

2. Reinforced environmental sustainability of food systems: promoting practices that protect the environment and conserve natural resources.

3. Enhanced social sustainability and gender responsiveness of food systems: ensuring equitable access to food and nutrition, focusing on women and vulnerable populations.

4. Improved governance and institutional sustainability of food systems: strengthening governance structures to ensure the long-term viability of food systems.

This vital financial contribution by the EU reaffirms the importance of international solidarity in addressing global food security challenges aggravated by Russia aggression against Ukraine.

It reflects the shared commitment to ensuring food security, reducing poverty and promoting sustainable development in Ghana.

EU ambassador to Ghana, Irchad Razaaly said:” This 10 million Euro emergency measure has been mobilized in record time and represents the commitment and solidarity of the EU and its Member States in the face of rising cost of food and to safeguard food security and transitioning to more resilient food systems in Ghana.”

“The joint collaboration between FAO, the European Union and the Government of Ghana shows our commitment to rural families in Ghana and ending hunger and malnutrition while supporting the transition to more sustainable agrifood systems,” said Yurdi Yasmi, FAO Deputy Regional Representative for Africa and Representative in Ghana.

The allocated funds will primarily focus on the sustainable development of crucial agribusiness value
chains, including maize, millet, sorghum, groundnut, vegetables (tomatoes), poultry and piggery.

These efforts complement the Government of Ghana’s initiatives, such as Planting for Jobs Phase 2, to mitigate the adverse impacts of rising food, fertilizer, and fuel prices in vulnerable areas, in order to help alleviate poverty, hunger and malnutrition.

“The Government appreciates the EU and ever reliable partner, the FAO, coming in at the time when
the need to refocus our food systems deliver on nutrition and resilience is being consummated into
the Planting for Food and Jobs, Phase II programme,” said  Bryan Acheampong, Minister for
Food and Agriculture.

Over three agricultural seasons, the EU-funded project aims to support at least 10,000 households, benefiting approximately 6,000 maize farmers, 2,400 millet farmers, and 4,200 sorghum farmers in targeted districts.

Women, youth, and value chain actors will receive capacity-building support, access to post-harvest technologies, and training on climate change adaptation, market access, financial services, and pest and disease management.

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