MoFA introduces quarterly monitoring of Cost of a Healthy Diet in Ghana

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) has introduced a new quarterly bulletin series to monitor the Cost of a Healthy Diet (CoHD) in Ghana, using food price data collected across 190 markets in the 16 regions.

The initiative, led by MoFA’s Statistics, Research and Information Directorate, is aimed at strengthening food security by tracking the affordability of diets that meet Ghana’s National Food-Based Dietary Guidelines, which were introduced in 2023.

The CoHD indicator identifies the minimum cost of meeting dietary requirements using locally available foods.

According to a press release issued by MoFA’s Public Relations Unit, findings from the bulletin show that vegetables and animal-source foods are consistently the least affordable food groups for most Ghanaians.

This raises concerns about accessibility and nutrition equity.

The analysis also reveals monthly and regional variations in diet costs and highlights food items that are most frequently classified as least-cost options within a balanced diet.

MoFA emphasised that access to a healthy diet must be a right for all Ghanaians and not a privilege.

The regular monitoring of the CoHD provides critical insights for identifying areas where social safety nets may be necessary and for guiding public investments in agriculture to lower the cost or improve the availability of essential food groups.

The indicator, developed following discussions in Accra in 2016, now forms part of the global monitoring of food security by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Bank.

It also contributes to a new Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicator on dietary diversity.

By integrating CoHD monitoring into the national food security and nutrition surveillance framework, MoFA aims to influence planning, policy formulation, and investment decisions that will enhance access to affordable and healthy food in Ghana.

The bulletins are available on the Ministry’s website and are expected to become a central resource in national nutrition planning and programming.

Source: GNA

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