The Iseguri Initiative, a Kadjebi-based Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) has commemorated this year’s World Food Day with a capacity-building workshop, to help promote climate-smart agriculture among women and youth.
The event was held at the forecourt of Nkwanta Senior High School (NKWASEC) on the theme: “Empowering Women and Youth in Climate-Smart Agriculture for Sustainable Food Supply and Safety.”
It brought together women farmers, youth leaders, agricultural experts, and policy advocates to explore sustainable agricultural practices amid rising environmental threats.
Addressing the participants, Mr Raymond Buami, the Projects Coordinator of the Iseguri Initiative, said the Organisation was focused on nurturing a new generation of farmers, who understood the inextricable link between land stewardship and life preservation.
He said the Oti and Volta regions remained key zones for organic vegetable production in Ghana and urged participants to take full advantage of the growing demand for organic produce, to improve their livelihoods and health outcomes.
Mr Buami also cautioned the youth against the use of mercury in illegal mining activities, describing it as not only harmful to the environment but also to their health and future.
Mr Mubarak Awudu, the Nkwanta South Municipal Director of the Department of Food and Agriculture (DoFA), warned that illegal mining activities (galamsey) continue to endanger the country’s agricultural prospects, particularly for smallholder farmers.
He said deforestation, erratic rainfall patterns, and widespread land degradation were worsening food insecurity and called for an urgent shift toward sustainable farming.
“When our water sources are poisoned and our soils are contaminated, we are not only losing our food supply – but we are also endangering future generations,” he said.
Mr Awudu appealed to the youth to see farming as a viable and dignified profession, urging them to avoid galamsey and invest instead in smart, environmentally conscious agricultural ventures.
Miss Jemima Etse, the Focal Person of the Iseguri Initiative, reiterated the organisation’s commitment towards using climate-smart agriculture as a tool for women’s empowerment and community resilience.
She noted that empowering women and young people with the necessary knowledge and tools for sustainable farming, was essential to achieving long-term food security and economic independence.
Participants received hands-on training in organic composting, water conservation, sack gardening, and soil restoration and were also encouraged to form community-based farming cooperatives to share resources and scale up their farming operations.
The workshop concluded with a call on government, traditional authorities, and citizens to intensify the fight against environmental degradation, especially illegal mining, to safeguard the country’s agricultural systems.
World Food Day, which is marked annually on October 16th, was established by the United Nations, to commemorate the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) on October 16, 1945.
It is a day set aside to among other things, raise awareness about global hunger and food insecurity, promote efforts to ensure food for all, especially the vulnerable, highlight the importance of sustainable agriculture and food systems and encourage international solidarity in the fight against hunger, malnutrition, and poverty.
Each year, World Food Day is observed with a specific theme that focuses on pressing issues related to food and agriculture — such as climate change, food safety, sustainable farming, or food waste.
It is celebrated worldwide in over 150 countries, including Ghana, through events such as seminars, agricultural fairs, school activities, media campaigns, and community engagements.
GNA
