The United Nations has expressed grave concern about the state of Ghana’s food production and supply system, warning that deep structural gaps are threatening both livelihoods and lives across the country.
Speaking at the 45th World Food Day celebration in Accra, the UN Resident Coordinator in Ghana, Mr. Zia Choudhury, said that while Ghana continues to make progress in agricultural production, the human cost and systemic weaknesses behind the nation’s food supply chain often go unnoticed.
“Behind every meal we enjoy, there’s a story and it’s not always a good one,” Mr. Choudhury said. “Where did the food come from? Who grew it? Who cooked it? How did it get to my plate? These are important questions, and the answers are often disturbing.”
Choudhury recounted his recent visit to Tema, where he met women engaged in fish smoking for local and national markets. The experience, he said, exposed the difficult working conditions many small-scale processors endure.
“I had bought smoked fish from the Nima market, it was delicious, my kids loved it. But when I visited the women who prepare it, I saw the harsh reality,” he shared.
“They work in thick smoke for hours, suffering from respiratory problems, inflamed eyes, and skin irritation. It’s a tough job, and they deserve recognition for their hard work.”
He noted that such conditions reflect a broader issue in Ghana’s food production system where the labour of thousands of informal workers, especially women, remains invisible despite sustaining local food markets.
The UN Coordinator also drew attention to the plight of yam farmers, who despite good harvests, are unable to reap fair returns due to weak storage and transport systems.
“This year, there’s a surplus of yams, but farmers can’t store or transport them easily,” he said. “As a result, prices have dropped sharply, and farmers are struggling, even though consumers in the cities are enjoying cheap yams.”
Experts estimate that Ghana loses up to 30% of its annual food production to post-harvest waste, a challenge that continues to undermine rural incomes and food system resilience.
Nutrition Challenges
Choudhury described child malnutrition as a persistent national emergency. Sharing his experience from a recent visit to the Savannah Northwest region, he recounted meeting a girl whose stunted growth reflected the country’s ongoing nutrition challenges.
“I met a young girl who looked about eight years old. When I asked her age, she said she was 14. She was stunted due to chronic malnutrition. It’s heartbreaking and far too common,” he said.
Currently, about 17 percent of Ghanaian children are chronically undernourished, a marked improvement from two decades ago, when the rate was nearly double, yet still an unacceptably high figure, according to UN data.
“Access to nutritious food should not be a privilege; it’s a basic human right,” Choudhury stressed. “We must keep fighting until every child in Ghana can grow up healthy, with enough good-quality food. I can’t fully enjoy my own meals knowing that so many children are going without.”
The UN has called for a renewed focus on sustainable food systems, improved infrastructure, and stronger social protection mechanisms to ensure that agricultural progress translates into real welfare gains for rural households.
