Ghana is not facing a nationwide food crisis, but millions of households remain exposed to rising and concentrated food insecurity risks, according to findings from the Mobile Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping (mVAM) Survey Report released on Thursday, April 23, 2026 in Accra.
The report, jointly produced by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) and the World Food Programme (WFP), reveals that although most households have acceptable food consumption, a significant share are relying on unsustainable coping strategies that could push them into crisis if shocks persist or intensify.
Speaking at the official launch held in Accra, the Government Statistician, Dr. Alhassan Iddrisu, stressed that the ability to respond effectively to food insecurity depends on timely and precise data.
“We cannot respond effectively to what we do not measure clearly. Today is about grounding our decisions in evidence and turning that evidence into timely, decisive action,” he said.
The mVAM survey, conducted between October and December 2025, used telephone-based interviews to reach about 9,000 households across all 16 regions of Ghana.
The approach enabled the collection of near real-time data on food consumption patterns, coping strategies, market access, and household economic conditions.
Dr. Iddrisu noted that unlike traditional household surveys, which often take months to complete and analyse, the mVAM system allowed policymakers to detect emerging risks early and target interventions more precisely.
“We now have the ability to see risks early, act faster, and target better,” he said.
According to the report, about 91 percent of households – nearly 30 million people – have acceptable food consumption at the national level, suggesting some resilience amid recent economic pressures.
However, beneath this headline figure lies a more troubling reality. An estimated three million people remain vulnerable, experiencing poor or borderline food consumption.
More critically, coping behaviour data showed widespread stress with one in three households using medium to high-level coping strategies;
almost one in four households already in crisis or emergency coping situations and many households were reducing meal quality, borrowing to survive, selling productive assets, or cutting spending on health and education.
“This is not sustainable,” Dr. Iddrisu warned. “Many households are managing today by sacrificing tomorrow.”
The mVAM findings showed that food insecurity vulnerability in Ghana is predictable and geographically concentrated, particularly in the Northern Belt.
Nearly 40 percent of households in the North East, Northern, Upper East, and Upper West regions experience poor or borderline food consumption.
Education and livelihood type also play critical role:
- Households with no formal education are up to 10 times more vulnerable than those with tertiary education;
- Those dependent on small-scale agriculture face risks about six times higher than households engaged in trading or savings;
- Poor market access and high food expenditure burdens further worsen vulnerability.
“These results tell us that national averages are not enough. We must go deeper,” Dr. Iddrisu said.
The report called for earlier and more targeted policy responses, particularly as coping strategies are emerging well before food consumption deteriorates.
Dr. Iddrisu noted that only about 1.5 percent of households currently report receiving social assistance, a level he described as inadequate given the scale of vulnerability uncovered.
Policy priorities highlighted include improved targeting of high-risk regions and groups;
scaling up and strengthening social protection programmes; investment in climate-smart agriculture, diversified livelihoods, and resilient food systems; and better market access, with a focus on affordability rather than distance alone.
Dr. Iddrisu said the report provided the evidence base needed to translate national and global commitments into action.
“Food security is not just about feeding people today. It is about protecting livelihoods, preserving dignity, and securing the future,” he said.
The Government Statistician expressed gratitude to the World Food Programme, the Government of South Korea, KOICA, and the African Development Bank (AfDB) for their technical and financial support.
He also commended ministries, agencies, and the GSS technical team for their role in delivering the survey.
Most importantly, he acknowledged the thousands of households whose experiences formed the backbone of the analysis.
Dr. Iddrisu warned against complacency, saying
“The real danger is not just what the data shows today, but what happens if we delay, generalise, or fail to act with precision,” he said.
He urged policymakers and partners to use the data deliberately, act early, and invest in resilience that lasts.
“At the Ghana Statistical Service, our commitment remains firm: better data, better action, and stronger outcomes for Ghana.”
On her part, Dr. Philomena Efua Nyarko, a former Government Statistician, who chaired the event, underscored the importance of evidence-based decision-making in development planning.
“Policies are only as effective as the evidence that informs them,” she said, noting that food security outcomes are shaped not only by access to food, but also by diet quality, frequency of consumption, and household resilience.
Dr. Nyarko observed that many households that appear stable are in fact vulnerable, relying heavily on coping strategies that mask underlying stress.
“This underscores the importance of going beyond headline indicators to better understand emerging risks,” she said.
She described the mVAM survey as a significant innovation, providing rapid, scalable insights that traditional data collection methods cannot deliver in real time.
The findings directly support Ghana’s development objectives and Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger), which focuses on ending hunger, improving nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture.
Source: businesspostonline
