Nutritionist Professor Anna Lartey has raised serious concerns about Ghana’s food security situation, revealing that 65% of Ghanaians cannot afford a healthy diet, while 43.5% experience moderate to severe food insecurity.
Speaking at the 2026 World Food Day commemoration in Accra, she warned that poor dietary quality was undermining nutrition, school performance, productivity and long-term economic growth. She called for urgent reforms to make nutritious food more accessible and affordable.
The Chronicle finds these revelations disturbing. Food is fundamental to human survival, but its importance goes beyond filling the stomach. Adequate nutrition is essential to good health, children’s cognitive development, productivity and national economic advancement.
The figures presented by Professor Lartey raise serious questions about Ghana’s agricultural policies, food distribution systems and more importantly, whether the country’s reported economic recovery is translating into improved living conditions for ordinary citizens.
What makes these revelations particularly disturbing is that they come at a time when the government has been highlighting improvements in Ghana’s macroeconomic indicators, including declining inflation, relative stability of the cedi and renewed investor confidence.
The International Monetary Fund’s October 2026 World Economic Outlook projects Ghana’s economy at US$128.64 billion, potentially making it Africa’s eighth-largest economy. These are encouraging indicators.
However, The Chronicle has consistently maintained that economic stability must reflect in the pockets and living conditions of ordinary Ghanaians, rather than remain impressive figures in government reports and political speeches.
What benefit does an expanding economy offer the ordinary Ghanaian if nutritious food remains unaffordable? We are not suggesting that improvements in macroeconomic indicators are insignificant. Rather, we insist that their value must ultimately be measured by their impact on household purchasing power, food affordability and general welfare.
The situation in rural communities deserves particular attention. It is troubling that people who contribute significantly to food production should themselves struggle to afford balanced and nutritious meals. Government must address the structural challenges that prevent agricultural production from translating into food security for farming communities.
The Chronicle believes Ghana must urgently reconsider its approach to food production, distribution and consumption. Greater attention should be given to indigenous crops and traditional foods, many of which offer considerable nutritional value and are suited to local growing conditions.
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, particularly its Crops Research Institute, must receive adequate support to investigate the nutritional benefits of indigenous crops and promote their production and consumption. The Food and Drugs Authority must also intensify public education on food quality, nutritional information and healthy dietary choices.
Urban agriculture deserves serious consideration in national development planning. The conversion of agricultural lands into residential and commercial properties threatens future food production, particularly around rapidly expanding urban centres. Government must encourage urban farming and ensure that spatial planning protects suitable agricultural lands.
Another concern is the difference between the prices farmers receive for their produce and the prices consumers pay in markets. Transportation costs, inadequate storage, post-harvest losses and inefficiencies in distribution can all contribute to higher retail prices.
Government must examine these challenges and investigate any anti-competitive practices that unfairly inflate food prices. Market associations and powerful intermediaries should not be exempt from scrutiny, although reforms must be evidence-based and recognise the legitimate costs traders incur.
Ultimately, Ghana cannot celebrate economic progress while a substantial proportion of its population struggles to afford nutritious meals. Professor Lartey’s warning must not become another conference statistic that attracts public attention for a few days before being forgotten.
The government must translate its food security commitments into practical measures that make healthy diets accessible and affordable.
The Chronicle maintains that economic recovery means little to ordinary Ghanaians if it does not translate into improved purchasing power and affordable food. The true measure of economic progress is not merely the size of the economy, but whether families can afford nutritious meals. A growing economy that leaves millions struggling to eat healthily must give cause for serious reflection.
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