Promoting Food Security in the Midst of Post-Harvest Losses

GLOBAL FOOD security is one of the most pressing societal issues of our time. It is presently estimated that more than one billion people, or one out of every seven people on the planet earth, is hungry or malnourished. Even more troubling is the fact that thousands die daily as a result of diseases from which they likely would have survived, had they received adequate food and nutrition. For now, it is estimated that between 30% and 50% representing 1.2 to 2 billion tonnes of food produced around the world go wasted due to several factors. 

Currently, there are grave concerns about the coming global food crisis. According to Agricultural Scientists, global food production must increase by 70 to 100% by the year 2050 to adequately meet global food demand. So how is it to be done or achieved? 

In order to avoid the unpleasant consequences of unprecedented widespread hunger and starvation in the years or decades to come, there should be serious and unwavering commitment from political, educational, and religious leaders to ensure massive agricultural transformation or food production. 

A report filed by John Sparrow, a reporter for Allafrica.com on 14th of March 2013 shows that, innocent children are wasting away in Southern Malawi. Mothers are distraught and beg for emergency feeding. The figures are soaring, already 50 per cent higher than those of a year ago due to the depletion of food stocks, the damage done to crops, seed supplies, livestock, the economic fabric and local markets.

Food Insecurity in Ghana

Statistics by the Agricultural Development Unit of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) and World Food Programme (WFP) have indicated that about 1.2 million people, representing five percent (5%) of Ghana’s population, are food insecure.  Thirty four percent (34%) of the population are in Upper West region, followed by Upper East with 15% and Northern region with 10%, amounting to approximately 453,000 people. 

About 507,000 (40%) people are vulnerable of becoming food insecure in the rural areas of Upper West, Upper East and Northern regions. Up to 1.5 million people vulnerable to food insecurity live in the rural and urban areas of the remaining seven regions, with the largest share of them in Brong-Ahafo (11%), in Ashanti (10%), followed by Eastern (8%) and the Volta region (7%).

The Upper East Region is the worst affected as it experiences the longest food shortage period of 6 months annually. The Northern and Upper West regions record 5 months of food inadequacy. As indicated above, farmers are not able to produce enough to last throughout the year and also unable to store enough produce for home consumption throughout the year. The crucial question is: how are they able to survive?

The simple answer is that the farmers sustain their household food security by patronizing less expensive and less preferred foods, borrowing food or money to buy, purchasing food on credit, seeking assistance from friends and relatives and purchasing street food.

The Desire for Farming

Farmers in the three Northern Regions of Ghana are hard working and have natural love or passion for farming. Close to 75% of them are into small scale agricultural businesses as their main source of livelihood or survival. 

The farmers usually cultivate maize, groundnut, soybean, millet, sorghum, rice and yam among other ancestral or traditional crops and they as well rear/raise other domestic animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, fowls and fishes.  

Many areas of the Southern Ghana (comprising 7 different regions) which covers 60% of the country landmass enjoy two cropping each year whilst the Northern Ghana which covers up to 40% of the land area is mostly savannah where the dry season invariably affects productivity.

It has already been projected that high temperatures in Ghana will lead to low cereal yields throughout the country, especially maize and millet, which is a key staple crop in the north.

This fall or decline in cereal crop yield will mainly be due to a reduction in the growing period, and an increase in evaporation rates. Furthermore, roots and tubers such as cassava, yam and cocoyam – which are also key staples in the Ghanaian diet – will see a fall in its production as well.

According to researchers at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), production of cassava, for instance, is also expected to reduce by up to 53% by 2080, and cocoyam by 68%.

The north will be the region most severely affected, as it is the most vulnerable area in Ghana, in terms of agriculture, due to high climate conditions.

Some of the Northern farmers are not only being discouraged by the challenges confronting them but are also retiring from the farming business. 

Acknowledging the Challenges of Northern Farmers

Apart from the erratic rainfall pattern which compels majority of them to crop only ones in a season, the unfertile nature of the lands, the ever growing desertification and the emergence of climate change and post harvest losses are also some of the major challenges facing most of the farmers in the three Northern Regions.

Other challenges such as the severe annual floods and droughts, low soil fertility, coupled with chieftaincy conflicts leading to burning of farm crops, have cumulatively heightened the already existing vulnerabilities or poverty situation among the farmers in these regions.

They loose chunk of their produce every year to wildfires, stray cattle and thieves. This is as a result of the lack of combine harvesters, proper storage facilities, transport services and poor road networks in the region. It is estimated that over 60 to 70% of the farmers do not have access to tractor services or safer place to store their produce after harvest leading to loss of over 40% of their crop. Most of them are therefore compelled to store the crops right on the farms at the mercies of bushfires, animals and sometimes the rainy weather. 

Effects of Climate Change on Food Security

Over the past 10 years the Northern Region of Ghana has experienced a highly variable and unpredictable climate. Erosions are taking place on arable farm lands and in communities due to annual floods, strong winds and sand winning as well as illegal mining activities, which are posing serious threat to food productivity.

In the wake of inadequate trees, majority of the inhabitants are indiscriminately cutting down the few existing trees including shea nut trees for the purposes of charcoal burning and other domestic use.

 The region has started experiencing the phenomenon of low agricultural productivity and if nothing is done about it, food security would seriously be affected and the problem of malnutrition would be exacerbated. In the Gushegu District of the Northern Region for instance, three out of every 10 children are said to be malnourished according to Ghana Health Service report. Most farmers are still hooked to the use of low yielding and poor nutritional crops.

Introduction of Genetically Modified crops

Farmers in Ghana and especially those in the three Northern Regions have over the years experienced serious challenges in the course of feeding their households and the nation at large. The soils in the region have lost their nutrients or fertility long since and require the maximum use of fertilizers and other agrochemicals to produce results.

This comes at a high expensive cost to the farmers who are already classified as poor. That notwithstanding, the farmers are also compelled to look for alternative means of controlling weeds and pests to save their crops from going bad. 

However, there seems to be some light at the end of the tunnel following the introduction of hybrid and genetically modified (GM) seeds into the system. Undeniably, the science of biotechnology, either through conventional breeding (often in conjunction with marker assisted selection) or genetic modification approaches has great potential to achieve biofortification for nutritional benefits in Ghana/Northern Region. There is an urgent need to solve the problem of micronutrient malnutrition that is prevalent among young children and women in Ghana and for that matter Northern Region. Genetically modified (GM) crops have great potential to resist drought, pests and diseases and also ensure high yields for maximum food security. 

Given the prevalence of micronutrient malnutrition among young children and women, the development of foods with enhanced nutrients is crucial in Northern Region. The technology advancement in this era and subsequent adoption of innovative tools has the potential to pave the way for better crop productivity and higher quality food at lower cost in order to solve the micronutrient problem in this region. 

In the advanced world, farmers are already growing thousands of hectares of GM crops including maize alongside conventional crops without any proven adverse effects. In the United States and parts of Europe, farmers are growing both the GM and the organic crops on the same land without any problems. 

Africa’s Climate and GM crops

A Science Lecturer at the Oxford University in the United Kingdom, Prof Chris Leaver says hybrid and GM crops are not automatically draught resistant and farmers could face challenges since draught is a major problem in Africa. 

However, he says there are several genes scientists are evaluating to come out with other varieties that would probably tolerate the dry weather in Africa and other parts of the world.

Prof Leaver therefore encouraged government of Ghana to take bold steps to provide adequate irrigation facilities especially the dry areas so that farmers can grow the high yielding GM crops to ensure food security.

Mr. Saeed Ali Yakubu, an Editor at the Multimedia Group of Companies also appreciated the introduction of the GM crops but cautioned that the necessary facilities and support ought to be provided for farmers.

He entreated government to provide access roads, irrigation systems, storage facilities and ready market for the farmers as they move from the conventional to genetic modification crops.