OUR MANIFESTO:

A BETTER FOOD SYSTEM FOR GHANA

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GHANA ALLIANCE FOR AGROECOLOGY AND FOOD

SOVEREIGNTY

Ghana is experiencing unprecedented changeswhich are having a profound effect on our foodsystems. As our nation develops socially andeconomically, our food system is changing.Farming practices in Ghana are degrading ourenvironment and crop yields are declining insome areas due to loss of soil fertility. Importedfood is often highly processed which is having anegative impact on our health, causingincreasing rates of obesity, high blood pressure,and diabetes. Food production and consumptionno longer follow our traditional cultural andsocial values and our traditional knowledgeabout farming and nutrition is being lost. Policyis taking away the rights of farmers andconsumers to control their own food system.Our food system is in crisis and we need to actnow to restore food and farming which ishealthy for all of Ghana.

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We want to see agroecology and food sovereigntypromoted across the country to ensure a foodsystem which is socially just, culturally sensitive,environmentally sustainable, and economicallyviable.

Ghana is culturally rich with a strong heritage oftraditions. Part of these traditions is the indigenous knowledgedeveloped over numerous generations. In recent years anddecades, the cultural heritage and indigenous knowledgeembedded within Ghanaian society has been degraded. There isan increasing move towards a global society and introducedknowledge which originated elsewhere. While there are manybenefits of globalisation for a country like Ghana, we do notbelieve these benefits should be at the expense of our culturalheritage. We believe that Ghana’s diverse cultures and ethnicities,and the traditions and knowledge systems which originate withthem, should be preserved. This is what makes our countryGhana.

As the food system becomes ever more globalised, the rights offarmers are being increasingly eroded. This isdemonstrated in moves to introduce control over the productionand sale of seeds in the form of the Plant Breeders Bill. Thisparticularly effects small-holder and subsistence farmers becausethey are often marginalised politically and economically. Farmersare often treated as recipients of agricultural knowledge, science,technology, and innovation. In fact, farmers are our greatestexperts at farming. Instead of being recognised and respected fortheir expertise and knowledge, farmer’s rights to farm the waythey want to are being degraded.

As the global food system develops new crop varieties, includinggenetically modified (GM) and hybrid crops, and the agro-chemicals which are required to grow them, they are“disseminated” to farmers in Ghana as part of a “modernised”food and agricultural system. Farmers have not requested thesevarieties. Instead, varieties which have been developedoverseas replace indigenous crops in Ghana which havebeen bred in Ghana over centuries to be highly adapted to theenvironmental and cultural conditions across the country. Oncethese indigenous crops are lost, they cannot be replaced.

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Just as new crop varieties are “disseminated” to farmersin Ghana, new food products are also being imported andare taking over the shelves in our stores and markets.These are typically highly processed food which are highin calories, fat, sugar, and salt, but low in other nutrients.

This side of the globalised food system is alsodegrading Ghanaian food systems by changingwhat we eat, when we eat, and how we eat.Imported, processed food is replacing our cultural dishesand the social way we “invite” others to share in ourmeal.

To add to the loss of our cultural and social traditions,

these processed foods are degrading our healthas the rate of obesity rises and health complaints such ashigh blood pressure and diabetes increase across thecountry.

When we have the capacity to produce our own foodwhich is healthy and adheres to our own cultural needs,why must we continue to conform to a global foodsystem which is in crisis?

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We need a Ghanaian food systemfor the Ghanaian people. It is timeto look back to our past, ourindigenous knowledge and culturalheritage, and shape our present andour future food system on what weknow works in Ghana for Ghanaians.

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“History tells us that agroecologicalfarming in Ghana can support oursocial, cultural and economic needssustainably. We need to learn fromour past and look to our traditionalknowledge to create a Ghanaianfood system for all Ghanaians.”

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Why Agroecology?Agroecology and agroforestry present a win-win-win strategy forsustainable agricultural production which benefits farmers andconsumers while also mitigating and adapting to climate change.

• Agroecology is a farming and food production system which workswith the natural ecology involved in food production, rather thantrying to control local ecology.

• Agroecology is organic, meaning no agro-chemicals are used duringproduction and organic fertilisers and pest repellents are usedinstead.

• Food produced agroecologically is more nutritious than food grownusing input-intensive industrialised agriculture.

• Agroecology is context-specific, using practices which are suitablefor the local environment.

• Agroecology is cheaper for farmers because they are producing theirown organic fertiliser rather than buying costly agro-chemicals.

• Agroecology is healthier for consumers because the food producedis more nutritious and is part of the local cultural diet.

• Agroecology can mitigate climate change by increasing carbonstorage of soils and increasing tree cover and plant biomass whichtakes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

• Agroecology draws on local and traditional knowledge to ensureproduction is environmentally sustainable and culturally sensitive.Traditional and local knowledge about soil, water, seed, and cropmanagement is technical knowledge and should be enhanced ratherthan discarded.

It is time to recognise the knowledge our farmers have and givethis value in our food system. We need to let farmers have rightsover their farms, crops, knowledge, and practices. This includes givingsmall-holder farmers a say over their food system regardless of theirlocation, economic status, religion, or political persuasion.

The farming practices which are being promoted as 'modern' and'improved' include the use of heavy machinery such as tractors. In therelatively poor soils, particularly in northern Ghana, the use ofmachinery for farming causes deforestation, soil erosion and watercontamination, and a loss of biodiversity. Loss of biodiversity reducesproductivity of land, particularly in marginal areas such as drylands.Agroecological farming practices prevent destruction of ourenvironment and can restore biodiversity and reverse landdegradation.

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Farming in Ghana used to be agroecological.Before agricultural practices were introduced toGhana from overseas, particularly the Westernworld, farming in Ghana was organic, worked withthe local environmental context, was culturallysensitive and drew on traditional knowledge,provided local food for local people, and wassocially just by ensuring the rights of producers todetermine their production practices. History tellsus that agroecological farming in Ghana cansupport our social, cultural and economic needssustainably. We need to learn from our past andlook to our traditional knowledge to create aGhanaian food system for all Ghanaians.

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The significance of food in our cultural heritage shows usthat food is more than just a source of sustenance andfarming is more than a source of income.

Food sovereignty recognises food for people rather thanfood for profit.

Food sovereignty recognises the rights of farmers andother food producers to produce food the way theychoose to.

Food sovereignty recognises the value of local food forlocal consumption, ensuring that the food systemresponds to local cultural and social needs.

Food sovereignty recognises the need to produce foodsustainably by using agroecological practices that workwith the local natural environment.

Food sovereignty recognises the value of knowledge andskills which are held in all parts of the food system.

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Why Food Sovereignty?

1. Focuses on Food for People:

Food sovereignty puts the right to sufficient, healthy and culturally appropriate food forall individuals, peoples and communities, including those who are hungry, underoccupation, in conflict zones and marginalised, at the centre of food, agriculture,livestock and fisheries policies; and rejects the proposition that food is just anothercommodity or component for international agri-business.

2. Values Food Providers:

Food sovereignty values and supports the contributions, and respects the rights, ofwomen and men, peasants and small scale family farmers, pastoralists, artisanalfisherfolk, forest dwellers, indigenous peoples and agricultural and fisheries workers,including migrants, who cultivate, grow, harvest and process food; and rejects thosepolicies, actions and programmes that undervalue them, threaten their livelihoods andeliminate them.

3. Localises Food Systems:

Food sovereignty brings food providers and consumers closer together; puts providersand consumers at the centre of decision-making on food issues; protects food providersfrom the dumping of food and food aid in local markets; protects consumers from poorquality and unhealthy food, inappropriate food aid and food tainted with geneticallymodified organisms; and resists governance structures, agreements and practices thatdepend on and promote unsustainable and inequitable international trade and givepower to remote and unaccountable corporations.

4. Puts Control Locally:

Food sovereignty places control over territory, land, grazing, water, seeds, livestock andfish populations on local food providers and respects their rights. They can use andshare them in socially and environmentally sustainable ways which conserve diversity;it recognizes that local territories often cross geopolitical borders and ensures the rightof local communities to inhabit and use their territories; it promotes positiveinteraction between food providers in different regions and territories and fromdifferent sectors that helps resolve internal conflicts or conflicts with local and nationalauthorities; and rejects the privatisation of natural resources through laws, commercialcontracts and intellectual property rights regimes.

5. Builds Knowledge and Skills:

Food sovereignty builds on the skills and local knowledge of food providers and theirlocal organisations that conserve, develop and manage localised food production andharvesting systems, developing appropriate research systems to support this andpassing on this wisdom to future generations; and rejects technologies that undermine,threaten or contaminate these, e.g. genetic engineering.

6. Works with Nature:

Food sovereignty uses the contributions of nature in diverse, low external inputagroecological production and harvesting methods that maximise the contribution ofecosystems and improve resilience and adaptation, especially in the face of climatechange; it seeks to heal the planet so that the planet may heal us; and, rejects methodsthat harm beneficial ecosystem functions, that depend on energy intensivemonocultures and livestock factories, destructive fishing practices and otherindustrialised production methods, which damage the environment and contribute toglobal warming.

Source: Nyéléni 2007: Forum for Food Sovereignty, Sélingué, Mail, February 23-27 2007

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Six Pillars of Food Sovereignty

“We envision a Ghana where localproduction meets the needs forlocal consumption.”

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Our vision is ambitious. It needs to be.

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• We envision a Ghana where farmers have rights overtheir resources;

• We envision a Ghana where society makes decisionsabout their food system;

• We envision a Ghana where local production meetsthe needs for local consumption;

• We envision a Ghana where food systems respond tolocal cultural, environmental and economic dynamics;

• We envision a Ghana where nutritious organic food isproduced agroecologically;

• We envision a Ghana where agroecological farming isenvironmentally sustainable and restores degradedland;

• We envision a Ghana where food is part of a socialecosystem rather than controlled by corporations;

• We envision a Ghana where the contributions ofsmall-holder farmers are recognised and their rightsare protected;

• We envision a Ghana where food is for social, human,and environmental health rather than a commodityfor corporate profit;

• We envision a Ghana where food contributes to thepreservation of traditional cultural values andindigenous knowledge;

• We envision a Ghana where all people are food secureat all times, and the right to food is adhered to;

• We envision a Ghana where all people have goodnutritional health year-round;

• We envision a Ghana where food is part of socialjustice.

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Our Vision for a Better Food System

There are several areas of the food system in Ghana which GAAFSidentifies as priority areas for promoting agroecology and foodsovereignty and creating a socially just, healthy and sustainablefood system.

• Stakeholder engagement - we need to increasecommunication channels between farmers and food producers,agricultural support services, non-governmental organisations,policy-makers, funders, food processors, distributors, and foodretailers, as well as invested members of civil society.

• Indigenous food - we need to recognise the value of culturallysensitive food through utilisation of traditional indigenousknowledge around production practices, native and traditionalseeds and crop varieties, and practices for good nutrition. Weneed to ensure that locally-adapted native crop varieties arepreserved to provide a healthy food system for consumers andconserve native biodiversity.

• Agro-chemical use - we need to establish sustainable farmingpractices which benefit the health of the local environment anddo not degrade the health of society. We need to increaseadvocacy against the use of agro-chemicals through enhancededucation about the risks associated with their use and thenegative impact they have on environmental health and soilfertility. We need to increase awareness of agroecologicalpractices which can produce nutritious food and restoredegraded land without the use of agro-chemicals.

• Local production for local consumption - we need to ensurethat food produced in Ghana feeds the Ghanaian society soculturally sensitive food is produced and consumed within thesame food system. We need to reduce consumption of heavily-marketed imported processed food and ensure food is respectedfor it's social, cultural and nutritional qualities rather thantreated as a commodity for profit of corporations.

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Priority Areas for Action

We seek to democratise food systems in Ghanaand increase nationwide food security byadvancing agroecological farming and foodsovereignty across Ghana.

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Our Mission

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We are a nationwide alliance of organisations,activists, farmers, civil society, institutions, andother stakeholders in the food system, who want tosee agroecology and food sovereignty promotedacross the country to ensure a food system whichis socially just, culturally sensitive,environmentally sustainable, and economicallyviable.

Building an Alliance

In order to meet our vision of a socially just, healthy,and sustainable food system in Ghana, we will:

• Connect agroecological and peasant farmers withadvocates, policy-makers, and funding bodies;

• Campaign for farmers in Ghana to have rights over theresources they need to produce agroecologically;

• Prepare and publish reports which outline a foodsystem which Ghanaian society wants to see, bringingthe voice of civil society to the government and theprivate sector;

• Advocate to national and international government torecognise and support the rights of small-holderpeasant farmers;

• Establish a series of farmer-to-farmer learningexchanges to build the capacity of farmers to produceagroecologically;

• Campaign for food sovereignty for the people ofGhana to ensure that Ghanaians make decisions abouttheir food system rather corporations and externalfunders;

• Connect Ghanaian farmers and supportive nationalorganisations with international movements for foodsovereignty and the rights of farmers, includingseeking membership of global peasant movement LaVia Campesina;

• Celebrate a local food system which serves the needsof Ghana.

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Together for Action

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Collectively, our activities will strengthen our alliance andgenerate a critical mass of farmers, stakeholders, and civil societywho want to see agroecology and food sovereignty throughoutGhana.We will make use of the knowledge, expertise, and resources ofmember organisations, initiatives, and individuals. We will alsolink with national and international networks through onlinemedia, utilising our website (www.gaafs.net) to full capacity. Wewill provide a strong alliance for advocacy, policy-advice,knowledge exchange, and capacity building.

Stronger Together

If you, or your group or organisation, support theobjectives of GAAFS and share our vision, then join theAlliance. The more members of the Alliance, the louder ourvoice and the stronger we are for affecting change.Together we can create a better food system for Ghana.Together we can create a food system which is sociallyjust, culturally sensitive, environmentally sustainable, andeconomically viable. Together we can create a Ghanaianfood system for Ghanaians.To join the Alliance, please fill out your details using theform on our website: www.gaafs.net/join-the-alliance/. Ifyou are overseas and you support our mission to create abetter food system for Ghana, you can become an affiliatemember of GAAFS by filling out your details at the abovewebsite.

A Bigger Voice for Better Food

Website: www.gaafs.net

Twitter: @GAAgroFoodSov

Facebook: @GAAgroFoodSov

Email: GAAFS@traxghana.com

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Keep In Touch

©Ghana Alliance for Agroecology and Food Sovereignty, 2017

GAAFS Coordinator:Trax GhanaP.O. Box 230BolgatangaUpper East RegionGhanaEmail: GAAFS@traxghana.com

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www.gaafs.net