Food security: Ghana must move from production to nutrition

THE human body thrives massively on the derivation and biological utilisation of energy (calories) and nutrients categorised primarily into macro- and micronutrients.

Micronutrients like vitamins A, C and E are needed for smooth skin and cogent eyesight. Folic acid and B12 promote “good” blood to avert anaemia and its related debilitating pregnancy outcomes like low birth weight, cleft palate and congenital malformation. They also mediate potential synergistic roles as anti-cancer agents, as well as in the regulation of blood pressure and pulse rates.

Additionally, they catapult intrinsic human growth- and development-affiliated metrics.

Minerals constitute a composite wing of micronutrients. Calcium and phosphorus, for instance, in sync with vitamin D (via the intermediacy of sunlight exposure), constitute an intriguing “big-bio-trio” for skeletal and bone health. This preserves the biological sanctity of the central nervous system (the body’s templatic engine) and facilitates our physical movements.

The food chain

From the dawn of time, dynamic and health-conscious societies have been preoccupied with ensuring the availability and consumption of adequate nutritious food to inure public health.

The most popular rudimentary notion of a food chain is embedded in ecology, an intriguing academic subject taught [usually] in basic biology.

Its classic portrayal connotes a primordial linear sequence of organisms within an ecosystem where some members predate on others to [inadvertently] transfer energy and nutrients.

Else, this chain features a path of energy flow from one organism to another.

It begins with herbivores (primary consumers) that feed on plants, with examples including rabbits, sheep, goats and cows (capitalisation mine!).

Thereafter appear secondary meat-eaters (carnivores) or plant-cum-meat eaters (omnivores) that feed on the primary consumers, with examples including spiders and frogs.

Following this level are tertiary consumers featuring large predators that devour other carnivores, exemplified by lions, eagles, sharks and snakes.

NB: Alongside these are bacteria and fungi that break down dead matter to return nutrients to the soil.

NB: Many overlapping food chains combine to form a complex food web.

From a pragmatic, experiential and sophisticated context, the food chain encapsulates a similar sequence of activities beginning with the availability of nutritious food, whether from intertwined domestic agricultural ventures and/or reasonable, needful compensation via trade.

Food security

By the definition of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), there is food security ONLY when there is ALWAYS adequate nutritious food for ALL.

Nutrition security

Several intervening steps must be honoured applicably to attain nutrition security, a point in time when and where the food so produced and/or acquired is well prepared, with minimal nutrient losses, and consumed joyously.

Thereafter, the food must be properly digested before the nutrients derived therefrom can be effectively absorbed and physiologically assimilated into the various body tissues and organs.

These are delicate processes and must be carefully insulated against any undesirable intricacies like food aversion (depressed appetite), diarrhoea (uncontrolled loss of body fluids and solutes), vomiting or other formidable prevailing hiccups.

Afterwards, there must be obvious transposition into healthy body anthropometry (e.g., normal weight-for-age, height-for-age and weight-for-height), adequate body fat stores, proper blood biochemistry (e.g., normal haemoglobin levels, blood protein concentration, optimal sodium profile, etc.).

There must also be manifestations of good clinical signs like bright eyesight, normal body skin, individual behavioural outlook and a potent social livelihood. These likely must culminate in personal happiness and public health.

Affiliation

These, in tandem with the muscles, protect delicate body organs like the heart, lungs, kidneys and liver, for vital skirmish roles in maintaining attractive body morphology (shape), sustaining physical strength, while keeping the biological integrity of teeth (dental) and nail tissues.

NB: The broad contextual concept of nutrients, especially regarding minerals, is analogous to the weighty matters entrenched in the economics fraternity.

Natural minerals like aluminium, copper, diamond, gold, lithium and platinum, among others, constitute uniquely treasured market-valued national emolument endowments.

They are, by chance and/or purpose, intimately oriented and fashioned to etiquette, political correctness, economic capitalisation and cogency in public affairs-cum-diplomacy.

Therefrom, they warrant revered ubiquity, with the stupendous prescriptive labelling as “precious commodities”.

NB: Many minerals play vital health-related functions, particularly regarding body water balance and the delicate regulation of enzymes, hormones and neurotransmitters. Some even interact with other nutrients, often with underpinning genomic traits, to control temper and other psychosocial phenomena.

National efforts

Ghana’s long-standing pursuits towards agricultural productivity and nutrition security have been laudable, even though quite a bit more needs re-invigorative re-engineering, with sustained attention.

The following are noteworthy:

• The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) regularly furnishes the public with relevant food data, including the Ghana Agricultural Production Survey (GAPS).
• MoFA has links with the Washington, DC-based International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
• MoFA operates a functional Statistics Research and Innovation Directorate (SRID), a National Agricultural Research Programme (NARP), and a Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Division (PPMED).
• MoFA collaborates with the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), FAO, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), universities and Agricultural Research Stations (ARSs), among others.

Ghana joined the FAO in 1957. It is currently the host nation of the FAO Regional Office for Africa.

Remedial initiatives

Ghana has undertaken many laudable initiatives towards the asymptote for the (unlettered, yet heralded) “Food and Nutrition Security for Public Health” crusade.

Examples include Feed Ghana, Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP), Agri-Connect Compact, etc.

Of special mention is the vast untapped arable land in the northern savanna zone and the Afram Plains. These have great potential given the right incentives (e.g., financing and marketing strategies, positive expert human power drift, enhanced transportation facilities and an overhauled generic infrastructural resetting).

Complementary essential services are needed from agencies and organisations like meteorological services, lands and natural resources, a wider network of agricultural extension services to farmers, antidotes against post-harvest losses, among others.

NB: Let us relive the ominous days of Operation Feed Yourself (OFY) under the reign of the late General Kutu Acheampong’s National Redemption Council (NRC) some political decades back.

BY DR (DR) W. B. OWUSU

The writer is a UG-, Queen’s- and Harvard-trained freelance writer on science and public health matters.

Email: [email protected]

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