To commence the Food Security Project in Northern Ghana and its effective implementation, a signing ceremony of the project took place at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) Conference Room.

Dr.  Bryan Acheampong, Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr. Yurdi Yasmi, FAO Representative to Ghana, and Deputy Regional Representative, H.E Irchad Razaaly, EU Ambassador appended their signatures to the document for implementation. 

The project, titled “EU Food Security Response in Northern Ghana” is a testament to the strong partnership between the Government of Ghana and the European Union (EU) as well as the FAO.  Particularly when it aims at promoting food security and enhancing the resilience of rural inhabitants.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Dr. Bryan expressed gratitude to the EU for its consistent support and for being a reliable partner in the development journey of Ghana. The Hon. Minister said that the ‘EU, through its member states and development programs, has made significant contributions to Ghana's economic progress. The agricultural sector in particular has received a substantial amount of aid in the form of grants over the years’. It is refreshing to note that, the current 11th European Development Fund, the EU-GAP program allocated €132 million in grants for various interventions in the agricultural sector.

The Sector Minister said Ghana, is equally thankful to FAO for the long-standing relationship and collaboration through several Policy and Technical Cooperation Projects (TCPs) in support of the agricultural sector.

Ghana has been selected along with other countries in West Africa by the European Union (EU) and allotted funds through a regional project aimed at enhancing food security. This is part of an EU regional response to address the food crisis and economic shock in the most vulnerable countries in Africa, which have been hit by global challenges such as COVID-19, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and climate change among others.

The project worth EUR 10,000,000.00 will support Ghana through the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as the implementing partner for Ghana. The project is to be implemented by FAO in close collaboration with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) and other relevant Ministries such as the Ministry of Local Government and other collaborators including private sector players.

The project, which is an emergency response initiative, is titled ‘’Food Security Response in Northern Ghana’’ and has been designed to contribute to the PFJ 2.0 and other national priorities. It aims to enhance sustainable food production and the resilience of food systems.