Afa Salifu Community Garden

Slow Food in Ghana

The neocolonization of gastronomy in Ghana is glaringly evident. The majority of the food available in supermarkets and local markets is imported from abroad: Italian beverages, Dutch poultry, Swiss chocolates, South African spirits and tomato paste and tinned fish from Southeast Asia are all readily available. The free distribution of chemical products and fertilizers to farmers has pushed them to move towards monocultures (manioc and oil palm), leaving them dependent on an industrialized and export-oriented model of agriculture. Slow Food has been active in Ghana since 2014. Through the work carried out by around 20 regional volunteers, including professionals like agronomists, educators, gender experts, veterinarians, gastronomists, community leaders and activists, a national coordinating group has been established. Forgotten traditional foods include local red and black rice varieties, wild finger millet (rare and under threat due to the introduction of the white American variety), yam and taro varieties, indigenous leafy vegetables used in porridges and soups, mushrooms and native fish species, among others. In the western part of the country, food communities preserve traditional production methods, like the artisanal extraction of palm oil and baking in traditional ovens. Fishing communities are fighting against unsustainable techniques like trawling, carried out mostly by Chinese-owned boats. Oil exploration is also damaging the coast. In order to be more effective in confronting these challenges, Slow Food is partnering with other local and international organizations and belongs to national farmers’ platforms. Education is an essential part of the Slow Food movement, serving as a trigger for change in consumer habits. The Ghanaian network is therefore working to raise awareness among young people, adults, teachers and women food producers in order to make them conscious producers and careful consumers.