The 8th Annual Pre-Harvest Conference and Exhibition scheduled to take place at the Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium from Wednesday, October 3 to Friday, October 5, 2018 will be sponsored by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).

This is to ensure that the event continues to link actors in the food value chain.

Country Director for WFP Ghana, Rukia Yacoub in a press statement said: “We are particularly interested in its benefits to smallholder farmers who produce majority of the food in Ghana but remain among the most food-insecure livelihood groups”.

Globally, WFP focuses its support to national governments on Sustainable Development Goals 2 - Zero Hunger and 17 - Partnerships. The national Zero Hunger Strategic Review which was launched by His Excellency Nana Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana in May 2018, identifies the triple burden of malnutrition, reduction of post-harvest losses, improvement of linkages between smallholder farmers and markets, enhancement of food safety in value chains, and mapping of food-insecure populations, as key gaps which need to be addressed to enable Ghana to achieve zero hunger by 2030.

These gaps which are also reflected in government’s policies, such as the Planting for Food and Jobs and One District One Factory initiatives, will be WFP’s focus areas from now until the end of its new Country Strategic Plan in 2023.

WFP has phased out of its traditional programmes in Ghana into a new chapter of innovative integrated food security and nutrition programming, with the private sector at the centre due to Canada’s invaluable partnership and funding. Two Ghanaian-owned industrial agro-processors in Kumasi and Sunyani have been funded and provided with technical expertise to enable them produce specialized fortified nutritious foods of international standards which help prevent malnutrition, particularly stunting among children.

Ten thousand smallholder farmers in the Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Ashanti and Brong-Ahafo regions, have been identified for linking to these agro-processors as a market for their produce.

WFP is also focused on strengthening smallholder farmers’ capacities in post-harvest management and food safety and quality.