Enhancing use of fish as part of a healthy diet

The republic of Ghana is a country on the coast of Western Africa. The Greater Accra Region of Ghana is the country’s primer area. The region covers an area of 3,245 km2 from which about 90.5% of the region is urban and 9.5% rural. Food production, including fisheries, takes place in all segments of the region.

Fish is the main source of animal protein in the diet of Ghanaian communities, yet fish production is insufficient and lacks proper technical advancements like cold storage systems. Deficiency of diversity to meet nutritious food requirements of diverse populations in fish products is also a constant issue. Also, the current global challenges such as climate change are endangering the area´s food security, and low awareness and lack of knowledge on safe practices challenges the production systems. Moreover, weak governance of local actors in value chains and poor enforcement of policies and regulations presents added difficulties.

Food System Lab Accra focuses on promoting food safety and efficiency in food production to provide healthy protein rich foods to improve local diets. The region’s challenges provide several opportunities to be tackled with Food System Lab activities. The outputs will have an effect on over 4000 community members.