The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) convened a high-level meeting with key stakeholders from the health, agriculture, and financial sectors to engage in the Food System Transformation and Nutrition Security (FSTNS) Cross-Sectoral Planning Group (CSPG) conference in Accra.
The FSTNS-CSPG is crucial for coordinating Ghana’s strategies to combat food system and nutrition security issues.
This meeting served as a platform to review progress made thus far and to outline plans for significant forthcoming events, including the integration of FSTNS into planning processes, the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement Joint Annual Assessment, and the Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit.
During the meeting on 29th January 2025, Dr. Felix Addo-Yobo, Director of Development Policy, emphasised the project’s significance, stating it aims to eliminate malnutrition and promote food security through national policies, multi-stakeholder partnerships, and strategic interventions. He highlighted the commendable progress made by the NDPC in this area.
“Our primary goal is to devise robust and relevant strategies to tackle malnutrition, enhance agricultural productivity, and ensure access to nutritious and affordable food,” reiterated Dr. Addo-Yobo.
He also acknowledged the pivotal role of agriculture and food production in addressing malnutrition and hunger challenges in the nation.
Malnutrition costs African economies between 3% and 16% of their gross domestic product each year, with Ghana estimated at 6.4% of GDP and a financial burden of $2.6 billion as of 2016.
The NDPC aims to unite government agencies, development partners, civil society organisations, faith-based groups, youth in agriculture, the private sector, and academia to create a robust vision for transforming food systems, ensuring they are resilient, equitable, and conducive to healthy diets.
Reporting by Stephen Freeman, Accra.
