The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the World Bank Group have launched a collaborative effort to enhance food system risk management across West Africa. This initiative, known as the West Africa Food System Resilience Programme (FSRP), seeks to bolster preparedness against food insecurity and improve the resilience of food systems in participating countries amidst challenges like floods, droughts, pests, and livestock diseases.
The FSRP, spearheaded in Ghana by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, will introduce a series of adaptive, innovative, and sustainable interventions designed to empower vulnerable households, farmers, and communities to cope with uncertainties and shocks affecting food production and supply.
According to a report by Graphic Online, the programme, which initially focuses on Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Togo, will eventually extend to include Chad, Ghana, and Sierra Leone in its second phase.
Collaboration with regional institutions such as ECOWAS, the Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS), and the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF) ensures a comprehensive approach to tackling food security issues. At the national level, the FSRP will work closely with entities like the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority (GIDA), the Council for Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), and the Ghana Meteorological Authority (GMet) among others.
The programme’s objectives include strengthening national capacities for delivering digital advisory services, consolidating regional agricultural innovation systems, and enhancing regional food security through integrated landscape management and the expansion of food trade. This will facilitate the efficient distribution of surplus produce to regions facing deficits.
With agriculture employing nearly 40% of the population and contributing about 20% to the national GDP, the FSRP’s focus on critical crops such as rice, maize, soya beans, and poultry is pivotal. The initiative aligns with Ghana’s Planting for Food and Jobs Phase Two (PFJ.2) and is anticipated to generate numerous job opportunities within the agricultural value chains.
