Understanding the concept of food sovereignty using the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP)

Abstract

This article deepens the understanding of the emerging food sovereignty concept using a case study of a home-grown school feeding programme that promotes local food demand – supply linkages. A school feeding programme in four selected districts in Ghana is analysed with respect to community involvement in programme implementation and management as well as its socio-economic impacts. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methodological approaches was used in data collection and analysis. Results showed a significant improvement in household food access and months of adequate household food provisioning, which were used as measurement proxies for food sovereignty, as a result of access to local market created by the Ghana School Feeding Programme. However, the study recommends more empirical evidence from research to support the claim that using locally produced food for school feeding actually reduces poverty and malnutrition in rural farming communities.

Keywords:

• market access
• food
• sovereignty
• Ghana

Notes

1. Quality of food was described in terms of amount of protein source such as fish and meat, taste and odour.

2. Dipo is a rite of passage performed when a girl reaches the age of puberty.

3. Home-grown school feeding is a generic term with emphasis on feeding school pupils with locally produced food. The Ghanaian version is the GSFP.