By
Gideon D. Ebbah, GNA
Domeabra (Ash), Oct. 24, GNA – Ghanaians have
to be out to be part of a global effort geared towards avoiding food wastage,
Mr. Samuel Owusu Takyi, the Executive Director of the Kumasi Institute of
Tropical Agriculture (KITA), has observed.
This could be done by augmenting efforts at
addressing post- harvest losses, enhancing the food value addition chain – food
preservation and individual attitudinal change, among other pragmatic steps, to
help ensure food security, curb hunger and promote sustainable agriculture and
rural development.
Alluding to a recent Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN) report, he said around 1.3
billion tons of food was lost or wasted, around the globe annually,
representing one-third of all the food produced for human consumption.
Mr Takyi was speaking at a public lecture held
on the campus of KITA at Domeabra in the Ejisu Municipality, as part of
activities marking this year’s World Food Day celebration.
“It was a worrying irony that regardless of
the world’s food production levels, which are on record to be more than enough,
hunger is still one of the most pressing and urgent development challenges
facing nations, especially, the underdeveloped and developing,” he added.
The public lecture, which brought together staff
and students of the School as well as other members of the public, was held
under worldwide theme, ‘‘working for a zero hunger world, call to action.
Achieving the SDG 2’’.
Mr. Takyi asked that Ghanaians changed their
attitudes both at home or public functions where food is served, by requesting
or serving themselves with the quantity of food they could consume to avoid
waste.
“Let’s also make it a home management practice
not to throw away food leftovers, but preserve them by either freezing to be reheated
for later use, or use them as simple recipes in another meal,” he added.
Mr. Takyi also noted that KITA was committed
to awareness creation and actions that promoted and ensured food security,
nutritious diet and sustainable agriculture.
Mr. Abdul-Razak Salifu, the President of the
Student Representative Council (SRC)of
KITA, encouraged the youth to support and participate in the process of
ending and avoiding food wastage in the country and the world at large.
GNA