Ghana’s Diet Crisis: Majority Cannot Afford Healthy Meals, Nutritionist Warns

Nutritionist Professor Anna Lartey has raised serious concerns about Ghana’s food insecurity and nutrition challenges, revealing that 65% of Ghanaians cannot afford a healthy diet, while 43.5% experience moderate to severe food insecurity.

She warned that poor diet quality is undermining nutrition, school performance, productivity and long‑term economic growth, calling for urgent reforms to make nutritious food more accessible and affordable.

Speaking at the 2026 World Food Day commemoration in Accra, Prof. Lartey urged government and stakeholders to prioritise reforms to Ghana’s food systems, particularly addressing the affordability of nutritious food and the persistent challenges facing rural communities.

She noted that rural populations continue to bear a disproportionate burden of food insecurity, while the inability of many households to afford healthy diets remains a major obstacle to improving national nutrition outcomes.

“The diet quality still remains a concern. We are failing not only on our nutrition, but we are also undermining school performance, productivity, and long‑term economic growth,” she cautioned.

Prof. Lartey called on government to translate Ghana’s commitments under the 2021 United Nations Food Systems Summit into practical interventions that improve food security and nutrition.

She outlined several measures, including developing food‑based dietary guidelines to promote healthy eating, increasing the production of fruits and vegetables, and reducing food losses.

She also urged greater investment in indigenous foods, describing them as nutritious, affordable and resilient to climate change. Promoting their cultivation and consumption, she said, could significantly improve access to healthy diets.

Prof. Lartey further stressed the need for research and innovation to address food waste, especially when nutritious food is discarded while vulnerable households struggle to meet their dietary needs.

“A system that discards nutritious food while farmers and children’s families go hungry is a broken system,” she stated.

Ayman Omer, an official of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), said the organisation is working with Ghanaian authorities to address challenges affecting the development of the country’s food systems.

Director of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Professor Dorothy Yeboah Manu, said the institute would continue collaborating with food‑related organisations to develop innovative approaches that prioritise nutrition.

Meanwhile, UN Resident Coordinator in Ghana, Zia Choudhury, commended organisations that participated in the food exhibition for showcasing the diversity of indigenous Ghanaian foods.

The event, organised by the FAO and hosted by the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, brought together organisations including the Ghana Food Movement, Food for All Africa, the Ghana Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Blue Skies and the Ghana School Feeding Programme.

Held under the theme “Innovate Today. Nourish Tomorrow,” the celebration featured a dialogue session, a cooking competition for young Ghanaian chefs, a UN leaders’ kitchen experience, and discussions on Ghanaian cuisine and sustainable agrifood systems.

Source: GNA