The Minister for Food and Agriculture Eric Opoku, has called for stronger support for local farmers and sustainable agricultural practices.
He also called for policies that promote healthy and culturally appropriate food production across Africa.
He said this while speaking at a plenary session of the 4th African Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family, Sovereignty and Values in Accra, on Thursday, June 4.
During the event, Mr Opoku highlighted challenges including “climate change, food insecurity, biodiversity loss, and growing dependence on imported foods,” affecting agrictuore.
He stressed the need for African countries “to invest in agroecology, local seed systems, and agricultural diversification to strengthen food security and resilience”.
The conference which is under the theme consolidating parliamentary consensus: advancing the African charter on family, sovereignty and values is expected to conclude on Friday with further discussions on family values, governance, sovereignty, and sustainable development.
The Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah represented H.E. President John Dramani Mahama at the opening of the 4th Inter-Parliamentary Conference on African Family Values and Sovereignty and addressed parliamentary leaders, traditional authorities, faith-based organisations, and delegates from across the continent.
He emphasised that the “strength of our nations lies not only in economic growth and technological advancement but also in the values we uphold, the institutions we strengthen, and the confidence with which we define our own path. “
As Africans, he said “we must remain committed to protecting our cultural identity, strengthening our families, and ensuring that our sovereignty is reflected in practical outcomes that improve the lives of our people.”
He also touched on the need to create opportunities for young people, strengthen the economies, and build institutions capable of delivering lasting progress.
“The ultimate expression of sovereignty is our ability to solve the challenges facing our citizens and to shape our future according to our own aspirations,” he said.
As host of this important conference, Ghana remains committed to fostering dialogue, strengthening parliamentary consensus, and advancing an Africa that is rooted in its values, confident in its identity, and master of its own destiny, he added.
He said that the “future of Africa will not be written for us; it will be written by us.”
