FESF Foundation calls for stronger rice production to boost food security

The FESF Foundation has called for increased investment in Ghana’s rice sector, saying stronger domestic production is critical to food security and economic growth. The Foundation says Ghana must move beyond simply producing more rice and focus on improving productivity, quality, irrigation, mechanisation, storage, processing and access to finance. The call was made at the 5th FESF Foundation Food Security Lecture, held under the theme “Rice: A Global Crop for Food Security and Economic Growth. ” Rice is one of the world’s major staple foods and supports millions of people across the agricultural value chain, including farmers, processors, traders and transporters. For Ghana, however, growing demand for rice has meant a heavy reliance on imports.

According to data cited by the Foundation, Ghana’s rice import bill increased nearly 30-fold in 21 years, rising from GH¢104 million in 2004 to GH¢3. 23 billion in 2024. The Foundation attributed the increase partly to global shocks, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2022 commodity price shock and Vietnam’s export restrictions in 2023. It said these developments directly affected Ghana’s import bill and household spending on rice. The Foundation believes this situation presents both a challenge and an opportunity for Ghana. It said reducing the country’s dependence on imported rice could help conserve foreign exchange, create jobs, strengthen rural economies and support broader economic growth. The Foundation stressed that food security cannot be achieved simply by producing enough food. It said food must also be available, affordable, accessible, nutritious and safe. This, it said, requires investment across the entire food system, from production and storage to processing, transportation, distribution and consumption. The…