Government has reiterated its commitment to playing its part in the implementation of the Regional Food Security Storage by enhancing the country’s food safety capacity.

Government continues to strengthen the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) to manage these storage facilities, as well as ensure that agricultural produce are safe and suitable for human consumption at all times.

This was made known by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey.

She was speaking on Wednesday, April 28, 2021, at the International Conference on the West African Food Security Storage System and the Building of a multilateral partnership.

She said, “Indeed, the enhancement of storage systems in Ghana and across the sub-region is also linked to the creation of employment in the informal sector.”

The Minister indicated, “Ghana, with the support of ECOWAS, has domesticated its national storage policy in line with the implementation of the regional food security storage strategy in West Africa.”

“While previous and on-going campaigns for food security in the sub-region have led to an appreciable improvement in the performance of both the agricultural and food storage sectors, food and nutritional insecurity still remains a major area of concern for Member States. It is for this reason that all Member States and relevant stakeholders need to boost their collaborative efforts for the operationalization and success of the regional reserve which is necessary and fundamental in the consolidation of regional solidarity and integration,” she noted.

It would be recalled that the West Africa Regional Food Security Reserve was adopted in February 2013 by ECOWAS Heads of State and Government to strengthen the region’s leadership in the resolution of food, nutrition and pastoral crises.

It is intended primarily for emergency operations in the event of a crisis and consists of one-third physical stocks and two-thirds financial reserves.

The Regional Food Security Reserve aims to complement the efforts of the Member States to provide rapid and diversified food and nutrition assistance, express regional solidarity to Member States and affected populations through transparent, equitable and predictable mechanisms, contribute to food sovereignty and to the political, economic and trade integration of West Africa.