Churches urged to support food security initiatives

The Fellowship of Christian Councils and Churches in West Africa (FECCIWA) has called on churches to draw up strategic plans and synchronize them with national and stakeholder objectives aimed at achieving sustainable food security in society.

FECCIWA has also called on churches to mobilize their collective assets and local resources to effect radical changes in the production of foodstuffs by promoting as well as encouraging the consumption of locally produced farm crops.

This was contained in a communiqué issued in Accra on Saturday signed by Reverend Dr. Fred Deegbe, President of FECCIWA and Dr. Tolbert Jallah, Secretary General of FECCIWA, after a five-day workshop on Food Security and Poverty Reduction organized by FECCIWA in Accra.

The workshop, which was under the theme: “West African Church Leaders Consultation on Food Security and Poverty Reduction”, was attended by representatives from 13 countries of the sub-region.

The Communiqué said FECCIWA was concerned about the devastating impact agricultural, energy and financial crises had had on the poor and on their capacity to produce enough food to satisfy their every day needs and hence the call on the churches to save the situation.

It said: “We encourage dialogue with all stakeholders on food security in West Africa including small holder farmers; our respective Heads of State and Ministers of Agriculture, and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to fashion out ways to ensure increased food production to reduce hunger among the people.

“We call on respective governments to maintain dialogue on marine resources during the process redefinitions of European Union (EU) policies on fisheries with the aim to granting fishermen on the sub-region first access to fishing ground and resources”.

The communiqué again called on sub-regional governments to maintain dialogue with the EU on the Economic Partnership Agreement and reach a deal that would not have a negative impact on small holders and local farmers in the sub-region.

It also called on the international and ecumenical partners to maintain support for FECCIWA in its efforts to address food justice in the sub-region.

Source: GNA