I do quite a lot of work in Ghana connected with agriculture, specifically the maximisation of agricultural yields in the prevailing climatic conditions and the generation of microclimates conducive to crop production.
In comparison with many African countries Ghana does quite well, there is a stable and democratic government and the country is one of the better off in Africa. That said, there is still a long way to go in order to eradicate the abject poverty, disease and food/water shortages.
The majority of the population still rely on subsistence farming and basic staples such as kenkey, banku fufu and TZ which are forms of starchy dough often made from yams, maize or millet. Other foods found throughout Ghana include fish, okra, groundnuts, plantain, fowl and rice.
There is little in the way of commercial farming and whilst most foods are available in the shops (often imported) they are beyond the means of many people, and so a lot of foodstuffs will be farmed by individual families, with most communities holding markets once or twice a week where surpluses are traded.
In order to resolve the food crisis in Ghana, although I’m not sure that ‘crisis’ is how I would describe it, there are several initiatives that can be implemented.
? Farming can become more large scale - as it is in the developed world. This means investing in farming machinery such as tractors, ploughs and harvesting equipment. One single mechanised farm can easily produce a wide variety of health produce that would be more than enough to fulfil the needs of an average village. Surpluses can then be sold for a profit. The drawback here is that the initial costs, even if an entire village pooled their resources such outlay would probably be beyond their means. Where practical, and if financially assisted by the government and/or charities, it is a very viable solution.
? Farming absolutely has to be less intensive on the land. Families will till and plant repeatedly on the same land and if it’s something like maize then they’ll plant twice a year. The land is not given time to recover and so it is nutrient depleted. A system of laying land fallow for, say one year in three, gives it time to recover. When it is replanted there are significantly higher yields. The major drawback here is that many families don’t have any spare land that they can set-aside.
? The planting of crops needs to be more sympathetic to the prevailing climatic conditions. Some plants are better adapted to certain climates than others so it’s important to focus on the most suitable crop species, a lot of the time this doesn’t happen and this leads to crop failures.
? The poverty cycle needs to be broken. In Ghana families are very much dependent upon each other and it’s traditional to have quite large families in order that the parents have several siblings to look after them in old age. This makes sense but it also means that the limited resources have to be shared around by more people. Limiting family sizes need not affect agricultural yields by much and this would mean that each person received a greater share of the produce.
? The people often need to be better educated about faming methods. Often the way that land is farmed is based on knowledge passed down through the generations, and it’s often wrong or outdated. Even something as simple as using the correct tools for the job can improve yields and make the work a lot easier.
? Sometimes it’s a case of not having any tools and having to use sticks and bare hands to plant crops. The provision of something as simple as a hoe can make all the difference.
? Despite having the largest reservoir in the world, Lake Volta, there are critical water shortages in some parts of the country, especially in the north. Much of the land here is flat and any lakes that do form are shallow and readily evaporate. Reservoirs can be created that would supply extensive irrigation systems and allow arid land to be used for farming.
? Another problem is that much of the natural harvest is depleted or gathered too early in the season. Because many people are hungry that can’t wait for crops to fully grow so they’re picked whilst still immature. Had they been left for a month or two they could have yielded significantly more.
? At several sites in West Africa we are conducting research into maximising agricultural yields in the prevailing climatic conditions and this can involve the artificial creating of micro-climates. Something as simple as planting trees can lead to increased rainfall in the surrounding area and so higher crop yields, the trees also retain moisture in the soil and stabilise it so it’s not so readily blown away, they provide annual fruit harvests, firewood and a shelter-belt to protect against damaging winds. The average cost of each tree planted is just $0.10 so it’s a very economical way to improve the land and increase crop yields.
An acute food crisis has struck the world in 2008. This is on top of a longer-term crisis of agriculture and food that has already left billions hungry and malnourished. In order to understand the full, dire implications of what is happening today it is necessary to look at the interaction between these short-term and long-term crises. Both crises arise primarily from the for-profit production of food, fiber, and now biofuels, and the rift between food and people that this inevitably generates.In the aftermath of the famine, people throughout the Horn of Africa continue to suffer and die from treatable, preventable illnesses, including cholera. This water-borne disease spreads and kills quickly, especially in refugee camps when poor sanitation and overcrowding are a problem.so they needs many drinks,pizza,and coken.so we can send them all kind of foods for free.
please come to save them.
It is a political situation. Rhodesia used to supply most of Africa with food products. But they were white non communist farmers who did this. So they got a black ruler, changed the name to Zimbabwe, killed off the white farmers, and went communist. Now they are starving. Great job UN! You really helped the planet.
In December of 2012 US President Obama gave the UN $100 Billion for GW. Where did that money go? Into the pockets of Soros, Maurice Strong, Al Gore and a host of other fat cats. How many starving mouths would that have fed?
Science is not the problem. Politics is.
Plant food that grows well there, and plant food that easily duplicates itself using saved seedfrom the previous year!
Maybe they should stop converting their food into biofuels.
"FAO Director General Jacques Diouf said that the rising output of biofuels is also contributing to food shortages, consuming more than 100 million tonnes a year of cereals that would otherwise be used in food production." http://www.iamaghanaian.com/index.php?do...
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Pray to the good lord above for help, this works best when starving people humble themselves before the creator of that which we call reality...
The Great Spirit always has the best solutions for any problems mankind finds itself faced with....
This also including his own and well-deserved annihilation that mankind has no power whatsoever over....
modern agricultural practices
