Food and Agriculture Sector Development Policy (FASDEP II).

The present Food and Agriculture Sector Development Policy (FASDEP) is developed as a Policy of the Government of Ghana to guide development and interventions in the agriculture sector. The national vision for the food and agriculture sector is a modernised agriculture culminating in a structurally transformed economy and evident in food security, employment opportunities and reduced poverty. The specific objectives for agriculture are listed in Chapter 3 as follows: 1) Food security and emergency preparedness; 2) Improved growth in incomes 3) Increased competitiveness and enhanced integration into domestic and international markets; 4) Sustainable management of land and environment; 5) Science and technology applied in food and agriculture development; 6) Improved institutional coordination.
Chapter 4 states the Policy strategies that will be adopted to achieve the afore-mentioned six policy objectives. Moreover, this Chapter lays also down provisions relating to sub-policies, such as Crop Development Policy; Cocoa Strategy; Livestock Development Policy; Fisheries Policy; Extension Services Strategies; Irrigation Development Strategies; Plant Protection Strategies; Agricultural Mechanisation; Access to Agricultural Inputs; Human Resource Development; Youth in Agriculture; Gender Mainstreaming; Improved Financial Services; Cross-cutting Policies including, inter alia, Land Policy and National Water Policy.
With a view to environmental sustainability, Chapter 4.5 establishes that the Government will aim at mainstreaming and supporting the scaling up of sustainable land management (SLM) practices in addressing objectives around both environmental resilience and agricultural productivity. Amongst the suggested strategies, are: 1) the creation of awareness about environmental issues among all stakeholders and develop an effective and efficient framework for collaboration with appropriate agencies to ensure environmental compliance; 2) adoption of an integrated approach in dealing with environmental issues, including an inclusive partnership-based coordinated approach with active and mutual involvement of NGOs and civic organisations, the private sector and the development partners.
As to gender equality the following strategies are suggested (Chapter 4.9.8.): 1)Strengthen institutional capacity for effective gender mainstreaming; 2) Advocate affirmative action in recruitment and training in the Ministry of Food and Agriculture; 3) Ensure gender disaggregation of data in the afore-mentioned Ministry; 4) Ensure collection, use and maintenance of gender disaggregated data at all levels; 5) Prioritise a key gender mainstreaming strategy annually for implementation; 6) Promote systematic and regular gender analysis of agricultural programmes to ensure they do not increase the workload of poor women and men farmers.
Environmental sustainability is stressed throughout the whole Policy. Chapter 5 deals with Implementation Procedures outlining the different roles of key-stakeholders, such as the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the private sector and civil society Organisations; development partners. The text consists of 5 Chapters as follows: Introduction (1); The Food and Agricultural Sector (2); Food and Agriculture Sector Policy Framework (3); Policies Strategies (4); Implementation Procedures (5). Two Annexes are enclosed.