The Country Representative of Solidaridad Ghana, Bossman Owusu, has encouraged urban households to adopt the habit of home gardening.
According to him, food security is crucial for human survival; hence, Ghanaians need to cultivate what they eat.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the launch of the Home Gardening initiative held on November 8, 2023, on the theme “Working together to grow safe and nutritious foods,” Bossman Owusu emphasized the essence of the home gardening initiative.
“The purpose of the home gardening initiative is to encourage as many urban households as possible to grow their vegetables. And the reason is simple: Growing your vegetables ensures that you produce them under the best hygienic standards. So, you use good quality water, and you are guaranteed that your food is safe. It helps you apply organic manure to support the growth of the vegetables. And what that also means is that you avoid consuming pesticides that affect your health. Now, apart from these values from growing your vegetables, we know that some people also receive good money from that.”
Bossman Owusu, however, called on Ghanaians to join Solidaridad’s “Wonso dua bi” campaign to promote home gardening and ensure food safety in Ghana.
Meanwhile, the Director of Crop Services at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Solomon Gyan Ansah, urged Ghanaian youths totake part in the home gardening initiative as it is imperative to the country’s food productivity.
“I am encouraging the youth here; please let us venture into home gardening. Because when we talk of nutritious foods that you have, of course, you have cultivated, then it means you are sure of your food nutrients. You know the source of your seeds; you nurture it, it becomes healthier.”
A key partner of this initiative is the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Speaking on behalf of the Embassy, the Second Secretary, Naomi Tuinstra, affirmed her belief in food security and stated that “we really encourage stakeholders to enable people to get knowledge on home gardening.”
She asserted that this will help Ghanaians employ good home gardening practices to aid productivity.
Solidaridad is a non-profit organization that fosters sustainable development in West Africa by enhancing the value chains of both agricultural and non-agricultural commodities, supporting farmers and production systems in the region.
All participants present at the Home Gardening Launch benefited from informative workshops on home gardening and engaged in hands-on activities such as planting demonstrations and interactive sessions with experienced gardeners.