Accra , Dec.8, GNA - The 5th World Conference of the Agricultural Workers Trade Group (AWTG) is underway in Accra with the focus on issues affecting Agricultural Unions and Groups in the West African Sub-Region.

The conference on the theme: “Winning Union Rights and Food Rights,” would propose amendments to the rules of the AWTG; discuss fair-trade updates and actions on food security, elimination of child labour in agriculture, secretariat action on occupational health, safety and environment and update on secretariat activities.

Mr Kofi Asamoah, General Secretary of the Trade Union Congress of Ghana noted that the world is recording much higher levels of wealth creation and accumulation than ever before and it is therefore unacceptable to have more than one billion people living in hunger although the right to food is a fundamental right and more pertinent now.

He said unions in Ghana are facing greater challenges of membership decline and for that matter inadequate resources, weakness of mobilisation as well as low membership participation and activism and in some specific situations disunity.

Mr Asamoah lauded AWTG for choosing the theme for the conference, adding: “In our world today food rights should be our top most agenda.”

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr Gabriel Babalola Regional Secretary for West Africa of the AWTG said the priority of the Group is to organise Africans to create awareness of International Union on Food (IUF).

He said the Group also intends to create unity among African Agricultural Organisations and to create a free way of disseminating information.

Mr Babalola said IUF wants to make sure that it does not depend on foreign nations for funds for its operations.