Urban home gardening project launched

Home Gardening, an initiative that encourages urban households to grow vegetables at home, has been launched in Accra.

Under the initiative, urban households are being encouraged to use best hygienic and safety standards to grow vegetables rather than buying from outside.

The project is being spearheaded by Solidaridad, an international civil society organisation (CSO) promoting sustainable production and trading, with support from the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The initiative is being implemented under the “Action Now” project, which encourages people to take control of their food security needs.

The Country Representative of Solidaridad, Bossman Owusu, was joined by the Director of Crop Services at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), Dr Solomons Gyan Ansah, and the Second Secretary at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Naomi Tuinstra, to launch the initiative.

Mr Owusu emphasised the use of organic manure, good quality water and resilient seeds to guarantee the safety of food, urging families to use organic manure to support the growth of the vegetables to prevent the risk of consuming chemicals-laden vegetables.

Solomon Gyan Ansah(2nd from left), Director of Crops Services, Ministry of Food and Agriculture speaking at the launch of the Home Gardening Initiative in Accra last Friday.Picture:EMMANUEL QUAYE

"Apart from this, home-grown vegetables ensure that you spend less on buying the vegetables and also selling excess ones to make money," he said.

Mr Owusu added that in an era where climate change had impacted heavily on food systems, there was the need to be innovative by adopting the home gardening approach to ensure food security.

“Instead of relying on only a few of our farmers to get food, we can create resilience by growing our own food using organic means.

 It helps us to be climate-resilient and help farmers who are under intense pressure to provide food for the growing population,” he said.

Food security

Ms Tuinstra said the launch of the project was a critical step towards boosting food security in the country.

Prospective buyers at one of the stands at the launch of the Home Gardening Initiative in Accra last Friday.Picture:EMMANUEL QUAYE

She said apart from serving as a beacon of hope to enhance local food production, the initiative would empower individuals and communities to produce their own food at the local level.

The Netherlands Embassy official urged households to leverage technology and innovative farming methods that were environmentally sustainable.

She said the home gardening initiative resonated with the Netherlands’ steadfast dedication to sustain sound agriculture practices. 

“Ghana’s agriculture landscape holds enormous potential and this initiative serves as a beacon of hope, offering tangible solutions to enhance local food production,” she said.

 “Through this initiate, we seek to leverage expertise in innovative agriculture techniques, technology and capacity-building to drive positive change, Ms Tuinstra added”.

Good initiative

Dr Ansah said the home gardening initiative was a good move, especially for Ghana and other developing countries that had pervasive food insecurity and famine challenges.

He said the initiative aligned with the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) policy of the government since both of them were targeted at ensuring food security for people.

He further said that some of the vegetables being promoted under the PFJ could fit into the home gardening initiative.

“Increasing population requires strategic attention to home garden to provide nutritious food to families, augment family income and reduce the consumption of chemically unsafe food,” he said. 

He called on Ghanaians, especially urban dwellers, to take advantage of the initiative to keep gardens at home.

“It will reduce expenditure on hospital bills,” he stated.