Poor nutrition leading cause of disease, death

Poor nutrition has become a lead­ing cause of disease and death globally, particularly in low-in­come countries, with Ghana facing growing challenges in food quality and access.

Professor Anna Lartey, former Director of Nutrition at the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations in Rome, made this known in a keynote address at the launch of the UG Nkabom Seminar Se­ries, Honours Programme, and Mentor­ship/Internship Programme in Accra.

“In Ghana, we are not eating well, and our diet has now become a source of disease and death for us,” she said.

The event was held under the theme: ‘Empowering Youth for a Sustainable Agri-Food Revolution in Ghana and Beyond.’

The Nkabom Collaborative is a stra­tegic initiative aimed at transforming Ghana’s agri-food system by empow­ering youth to take up opportunities in the food and nutrition value chain.

She said globally, about 3.1 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet.

In Africa, the figure is nearly 1 billion, while in Ghana, about 65 per cent of the adult population cannot afford a nutritious diet.

Prof. Lartey said the FAO recom­mends consuming five servings of fruits and vegetables daily.

“If every Ghanaian is going to eat five fruits and vegetables a day, our production will not match our con­sumption.

“We produce too few fruits and vegetables. But it’s not surprising that our food is highly carbohydrate,” she noted.

Prof. Lartey explained that food sys­tems include production, processing, retail, consumption, and disposal, and emphasised the importance of a clean food environment to support a healthy lifestyle.

“So if you live in an area where the foods around you are highly processed foods and junk foods, it is most likely to influence the kinds of foods you will choose,” she said.

Furthermore, Prof. Lartey observed that Ghana’s food systems do not pro­duce enough of the right foods.

“If you take your plate and put food on your plate, about half of it should be fruits and vegetables,” she ad­vised.

She then called for coordinated na­tional efforts to address food system challenges and promote food security.

Prof. Richmond Aryeetey, UG Nk­abom Collaborative Lead, said the initiative was designed to equip youth to become the next generation of tech-enabled farmers, agrifood prod­uct developers, manufacturers, and agritechpreneurs.

“We work on three programme lines – education programmes in agrifood systems to develop human resourc­es to drive change in Ghana’s food systems.

“These include a PhD programme in sustainable food systems as well as lifelong learning opportunities through tailored short courses that have been co-created with agrifood industry partners,” he noted.

Prof. Aryeetey added that the pro­gramme also seeks to expand access to nutrition and agrifood systems for young women, persons with disabili­ties, and internally displaced persons.

The third component is entrepre­neurship, aimed at supporting youth farmers and food system innovators with mentorship, business incubation, market access, and seed funding.

Mr Piere Brunache, Secretariat Director of the Nkabom Collaborative, said the programme aims to create 55,000 jobs and establish 3,000 Small and Medium Enterprises in the next 10 years.

He urged the youth to seize the opportunity to build skills for em­ployment and contribute to national development. —GNA