Garden and flower show launched

The seventh edition of the Ghana Garden and Flower Show (GGFS) has been launched with a call on citizens to develop innovative ways in protecting the environment.

GGFS is a Strategic Communications Africa Limited (STRATCOMM Africa) initiative which is aimed at promoting horticulture and floriculture in Ghana as well as creating awareness of the commercial and psychological benefits of flowers and gardens.

This year's show on the theme: "Be the change" is aimed at inculcating the awareness of green behaviour on the environment and what could be done collectively to make the environment cleaner, greener and more beautiful.

The week-long event which will be held from August 29 to Sept 3, 2019 at the Efua Sutherland Children’s Park is expected to have 30,000 participants, an increase of 10,000 participants at last year’s show.

Change

Addressing the media and some other stakeholders in Accra last Thursday, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Stratcomm Africa, Ms Esther A. N Cobbah stated that ensuring a beautiful environment was not the sole responsibility of government but a collective one.

She observed that many people did not protect the world not because they did not want to but because they did not know how.
 
She therefore emphasised the need to educate Ghanaians about the importance of flowers to engender a change in attitude.

“Let us be innovative in our ways and create wealth out of the natural things around us. Let us change our attitude towards floriculture and horticulture.

We want to change the filthy environment in Ghana because Ghana deserves to be the best,” she said.

She noted that there was almost always loss of lives and properties to floods resulting from dirty environments especially plastics.

“We do not want plastic garden. Be the change as an individual, a family and a community.

Let us all be the pleasant Ghana we want to see instead of going to queue at embassies to fly to other countries, Ms Cobbah said.

She touted the success of the show and said participation had increased from 14 exhibiters in 2013 to 20,000 in 2018.

Potential

For her part, the Israeli Ambassador to Ghana, Ms Shani Cooper said the floriculture and horticulture industry had a great potential for any given country.

She said the industry impacted the environment positively and contribute to the income generation and economic growth.

“In Ghana, a country blessed with the basic elements for successful agricultural practices – water, good soil and sunshine, we have more reason to make use of this gift that nature has endowed our country with to maximise its benefits to create jobs, generate foreign exchange as well as attract potential investors to the country,” she said.

Ms Cooper further expressed Israel’s commitment to contribute to the realisation of Ghana’s development agenda, “for example, planting for food and jobs”