Awareness raising for improved child nutrition and innovative food products

The Republic of Ghana is a country on the coast of Western Africa. In the Northern part of Ghana is located Tamale Metropolitan area, which is about the fourth largest City in Ghana. In Tamale, about 80% of the populations are engaged in agricultural value activities.

The challenge in the area relates to poor diets, food insecurity, gender inequalities and climate change.  Food security is challenged by degraded soils, low soil fertility, erratic rainfall pattern, floods, long drought, poor yields, and lean period four months in the year and malnutrition among others. Other challenges include inadequate farming inputs, low capacities, inadequate agriculture extension services and inadequate credit facilities, poor marketing and storage facilities.

Women group Tamale
Women group meeting in Tamale

Food System Lab in Tamale improves the overall nutrition and food security in the urban and semi –urban communities while enhancing gender equality. Strategically, this Food System Lab targets youth and children. Several activities are undertaken by local coordinative partners.

Other Food System Labs

Specific objectives:

  1. To improve communities nutrition, climate change adaptation and gender equality
  2. To improve urban youth’s awareness of the importance of nutrition, food security, gender equality and climate change adaptation
  3. To introduce novel food products in 10 urban and peri-urban communities to provide new livelihoods opportunities for women and improved nutrition and food security

Activities

  1. Establishing school gardens in 10 public schools
  2. Planting fruit trees in 10 urban communities                      
  3. Training 20 Youth Ambassadors who will reach out to youth in youth clubs and the schools
  4. Introducing new recipes from Soya processing and training materials

Tamale, Ghana

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Tamale Food System Lab Coordinator:

Centre For Initiatives On Food Security And Environment (CIFSE)