Blog 5: Hunger in Ghana
The country that I chose this week for my sustainable goal is Ghana. Ghana has a population of 28.8 million and a third of it is living on less than $1.25 a day. Ghana mainly suffers from malnutrition, hunger, and poverty and are trying their best to improve (World Food Programme, 2018). Although Ghana is rapidly improving through oil production, gold mining, and other types of industries, most of the wealth is not distributed to the population due to high corruption. Small scale farmers depend on outdated farming tools, and have small access to better fertilizers and seeds that can increase crop yields (The Hunger Project, 2020). Farmers also face challenges from climate change due to most of their food coming from agriculture growth, and when there is a drought this makes it harder for food to be produced. They are also affected by insufficient education and knowledge, unsustainable farming systems, and are vulnerable to global price spikes for foods that are being imported like rice (World Food Programme, 2018).
In order for Ghana to improve the hunger, poverty, and malnutrition that is happening in the country, they have partnered with and got help from the organization World Food Programme. The World Food Programme plans to help prevent stunting and vitamin and mineral deficiencies by supporting the private sector range. The organization is also wanting to produce and market affordable and safe foods that comply with international standards. They are also working with the government of Ghana with an integrated food security and nutrition program that includes the private sectors, and focus on reducing malnutrition, improve its food systems, and strengthen its social protection programs (World Food Programme, 2018).
The organization never states how it gets its funding for the programs it uses to help Ghana improve, however it is implied that they get their funding from donations and non-profit organizations. Hunger is a big issue in Ghana and is considered as its main priority in decreasing the number of people who are suffering from hunger and malnutrition. The people and government of Ghana are working hard to improve the outcomes of the hunger struggles they are facing right now by working with outside organizations. Overtime the country will surely improve if they continue with the path they are going on right now.
References
The Hunger Project. (2020, August 4). Ghana –. https://thp.org/what-we-do/where-we-work/africa/ghana/
World Food Programme. (2018, August 1). Ghana | World Food Programme. https://www.wfp.org/countries/ghana#:%7E:text=Hunger%20and%20malnutrition%20persist%20primarily,periurban%20communities%20across%20the%20country.&text=Poverty%20is%20a%20major%20cause,related%20to%20inefficient%20food%20systems.
I'm always interested as to how hunger is dealt with in African countries. Many countries, such as Ghana, suffer from extreme levels of malnutrition even with all the donations and relief which foreign aid brings into these countries. I've always wondered if the reason agriculture may not be so good there is due to the climate or the outdated farming tools or both. for Ghana to overcome much of their hunger problems they should be able to sustain themselves with food that does not come from other countries.
ReplyDeleteHello Kalkidan,
ReplyDeleteYou have provided thought provoking material to the class that addresses the striking impact famine has on foreign nations. When I hear of children suffering from hunger and malnutrition, I immediately consider the effects of malnutrition on human development and the implications that occur as well. It warms my heart that initiatives like the World Food Programme are administering aid to prevent negative health conditions. Per the recent news of Covid-19 storage hoarding resources, basic services like such are continuously being threatened or jeopardized. In order to prevent cases like this aid is required.
Hunger is a serious issue that is happening in many low income countries and I always wonder how this issue is being solved. However, that is great that organizations such as World Food Progamme is doing there to help out with hunger and malnutrition in Ghana. But I think the challenge is climate change because that can play a role with agriculture which makes it hard to produce food. Overall, I am glad that people and the government of Ghana are working hard to improve hunger and malnurition.
ReplyDeleteThis blog post was very educational, interesting, and informative. I covered Ghana on my last blog post and it was interesting to read on your perspective of this country. Even though we had similar things to say over this country you were still able to educate me more about this issue. Hunger is a major issue in this country, but I am glad efforts are being made to improve this situation. Overall, this was a very good post.
ReplyDeleteHi Kalkidan,
ReplyDeleteThe information you provided was very interesting and informing. I was shocked when I read that
a third of Ghana is living in less than $1.25 a day, thats a really low number compared to other countries. Its cool that the organization World Food Programme is helping Ghana produce and market affordable foods and have better access to foods. I found it interesting that the program is a non profit organization. I enjoyed reading your post it was very informing!
Hi Kalkidan,
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting reading about your research on Ghana’s issue with hunger. It is a popular fact knowing the hunger rates throughout the nations of Africa, but your research has taught us readers as to the contributions of that factor. The fact that Ghana’s industry is improving wealthily, however, it is not distributed to where it can benefit its own people and their needs. The fact that Ghana is self dependent of their farming attributes, I would hope that their government can somehow distribute help to their population. However, thankfully to the World Food Programme, it is playing a small factor of supporting the families in Ghana with accessible and safe food. I am aware of the support of the organization as it also helps other countries, too! After reading your post, I hope that Ghana sees changes in their hunger status so that it will improve their physical, mental at a healthy condition.
Hello Kalkidan! I did not know that one-third of the Ghana population survives on $1.25 or less each day. I understand how climate change and global warming can have a serious effect on agriculture and the lives of farmers who work hard trying to survive and provide others with foods. The World Food Programme partnership sounds like a great opportunity to provide support to those in need and help educate the importance of vitamins and food for childhood growth. Many organizations such as the World Food Programme rely on non-profit organizations as well as general donations and it makes me wonder how much the government is contributing financially to the cause of ending hunger, especially in Ghana. The uneven distribution of wealth combined with a potentially corrupt government that may favor mining over agriculture is an unacceptable situation. In my opinion, governments should favor and provide more funding for agriculture instead of mining, because agriculture is a necessity; people need food and farmers are the ones who must put in the work to help feed the country.
ReplyDeleteHello Kalkidan,
ReplyDeleteI am so amazed that people in Ghana are surviving off $1.25 or less each day. It is sadeening to read that they have wealth through oil production, gold mining but it is not distibuted to the population. In addition the government is not helping small farmers and they need to use outdated tools and do not have much help. In addition small farmers have to deal with climate change and having droughts. Lastly they do not have the opportunity to be educated and are not educated in global price spikes. However SDG and the World Food Programme want to help and they are helping with vitamin and mineral deficiencies.