CHAPTER ONE
Introduction
- : Background to the Study
As reflected in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), one of the global challenges is to end poverty and hunger in the world and achieve food security (SDG I&II). Available data show that the number of people who suffer undernourishment in the world has been growing since 2015 (FAO, 2018).Increasing from783.5 million in 2014to 820.8 million people in 2017 (FAO, 2018). The situation is worsening in most regions of Africa. Almost 21 percent of the population (more than 256 million people) are undernourished. Under-nutrition in Africa has continuously increased since 2005, rising from196 million people to 256.5millionin 2017 (FAO, 2018).
Under-nutrition and food insecurity are often used interchangeably. In Africa, the number of people facing severe food insecurity rose from 260.1 million people in 2014 to 374.9 million people in 2017, accounting for 51.3 percent of the 769.4 million people facing severe food insecurity globally (FAO, 2018). Sub-Saharan Africa is the hardest hit in the world, in terms of food insecurity (Darfour et al, 2016).
There continue to be major threats to food security in Ghana notwithstanding the overall increase in its wealth measured by GDP (MoFA, 2015). World Food Programme (2009) estimated that food insecurity affects about 5% of Ghana‘s population. And about 2 million people are likely to become food insecure (MoFA,2016). Poor agricultural performance and poverty are the major cause of this crisis in Africa (AfDB, 2016). The three regions in the north have continued to record higher incidences of poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition (Ghana Statistical Service, 2015).
(Source: FAO, 2018)
The Wa West District of the Upper West Region has the highest proportion of households who are either severely or moderately food insecure (CFSVA, 2012). However, in the era of the PFJ programme, how is the food security situation changing in rural Ghana and the Wa West District in particular?
Ghana has adopted policies and programmes to achieve food self-sufficiency, reduce poverty and create jobs. During the first republic, agriculture policy focused on the formation of state farms along corporative lines (Ward, 1966).There was the establishment of seed processing centres, disease and pets control, improvement of livestock and subsidies and tractor services among others (Buah, 1998). Attention was equally paid to livestock and deliberate efforts made to reduce the importation of meat products (Jotie, 2017).The National Liberation Council (NLC) that overthrew the Nkrumah regime in 1966 sought to support farmers by way of providing ready market, infrastructural development and offering credit to farmers. The regime described these policies as necessary for the rapid increase in the production of food and other crops (Boahen, 1996).The ―Operation feed yourself policy‖ in 1972 under the National Redemption Council was a continuation of earlier
efforts at achieving food self-sufficiency.
The next military regime in 1981 under the Armed Force Revolutionary Council continued to place emphasis on the need to increase agricultural productivity. Achieving a green revolution was important to the regime. Chiefs became a focal point in rallying the nation for higher agricultural production (Boahen, 1996).
Since returning to constitutional democracy in 1992, a number of short to medium term plans has been put in place to transform the economy through Agricultural modernization and higher productivity (GSGSA, 2014). These include Ghana Shared Growth Development Agenda (GSGDA I&II), the Coordinated Programme of Economic and Social Development Policies. Specific policies included Medium Term Agricultural Sector Investment Plan (METASIP I&II) and the Food and Agricultural Sector Development Policy (FASDEP II, 2007-2015). The METASIP provides the road map for the implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) (METASIP, 2014). The most recent policy in the agricultural sector, which is a flagship programme under the METASIP III is called the Planting for Food and Jobs Policy (PFJ).
The main goal of the PFJ programme is to achieve food security, employment creation and poverty reduction through modern agricultural practices. This will transform the national economy.
The objectives of the PFJ programme are to make sure that food crops are readily available in Ghana, and also creating opportunities for the private sector operators, and helping address youth joblessness in the country. (Plan, Implementation, & Food 2019)
       : Problem Statement
Farming provides livelihood for millions in Ghana by offering work and food. Even though smallholder farmers operate less than 2 acres of land, they contribute to 75% of the total agricultural output of the country (Plan, Implementation, & Food, 2017).
Despite past policy interventions, the role of the Agricultural sector in reducing food insecurity is inadequate. The contribution of agriculture to GDP in the recent years has been uneven (Kwarase, 2017). Cereal food crops (rice, sorghum and maize) continue to present a wide yield gap which is the difference between the actual production and the potential production (ISSER, 2016). Poor agronomic practices, low quality of inputs used and lack of extension services are the factors accounting for the poor performance of on-farm productivity. (Plan, Implementation, Food, 2017).
