Participants at a day’s National Policy Dialogue have called for the establishment of a dedicated fund towards food security in the country.
They also called on Parliament to review the District Assemblies’ Common Fund allocation formula to include food security under the basic needs component of the formula.
The event dubbed: “National Policy Dialogue on Strengthening the Decentralisation of the Agricultural Sector for Effective Policy Implementation and Coordination in Ghana”, was aimed at enhancing agricultural sector decentralisation.
It was organised by the Feed the Future (FtF) Ghana Market Systems and Resilience (MSR) Activity and the Ghana Policy LINK Activity in partnership with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture on the theme: “Strengthening Agricultural Sector Decentralisation for Effective Policy Implementation and Coordination.”
It brought together key stakeholders including policymakers, local government authorities, and market actors to discuss strategies for strengthening decentralisation to enhance policy implementation and coordination within the agricultural sector in the country.
It focused on promoting inclusivity in policymaking and implementation processes leveraging evidence-based approaches and fostering stakeholder engagement to achieve more transparent and effective agricultural and food systems policy.
The participants also called for a speedy and timely disbursement of resources for agricultural production activities taking into cognisance the season patterns.
Mr Glenn Lines, Chief of Party, FtF MSR Activity, speaking during the event, said both Activities were committed to continued collaboration with the government at both national and sub-national levels as well as the private sector to facilitate an improved enabling environment conducive to agricultural-led economic growth.”
He said thorough consideration of the impact of agricultural sector policy implementation and coordination would advance agricultural policy compliance and reform in the country.
Alhaji Shani Alhassan Saibu, Northern Regional Minister commended the partners for organising the dialogue saying, “The government is looking forward to working with all policymakers and policy decentralisation objectives that promote effective agricultural sector policy implementation and coordination.”
He was hopeful that the dialogue would aid in charting a solid path that would benefit market system actors particularly smallholder farmers including women, youth, and persons with disabilities.
GNA
EA/LAA
19 April 2024
Caption: Participants during the event
