Ghana Joins the World to Mark International Biological Diversity Day

Ghana will join the rest of the world to mark this year’s International Biological Diversity Day on Wednesday, 22 May 2019 under the national theme: “Promoting Our Indigenous Foods and Medicines; a Catalyst for Achieving the Ghana beyond Aid Agenda”.

This year’s celebration seeks to spread awareness on the dependency of our food systems, nutrition, and health on biodiversity. Globally, countries have witnessed the disappearance of a number of indigenous crop varieties and medicinal plants, with a corresponding decline in the essential knowledge of traditional medicines and local foods.

Ghana, as a State Party to the Convention Biological Diversity, is equally challenged by the increasing taste for exotic foods/medicines at the expense of our indigenous dishes and medicines.

This is evident on the food menus of most restaurants across the country; as they offer mostly continental dishes over local dishes.

Even at home, parents are under pressure to serve exotic foods at the expense of our rich and nutritious indigenous dishes made with kontomire, mushrooms, snails, etc., which many oblige in view of their busy schedules.

Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, Minister for Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, will thus deliver a keynote address at a forum, being organized by MESTI with the National Environment Days Planning Committee, at the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, in Accra, to mark the day.

An exhibition will also be held alongside the forum to showcase innovations in our indigenous foods and medicines sector.

Participating institutions will comprise stakeholders from Government agencies at the national and local levels, Academia, Private sector, NGOs, Media, and Development Partners.