Beyond Food Security: Optimizing Sustainable Healthy Diets in Ghana's Dietary Transition

Francis Addeah Darko and Edward Martey

No 11197, Policy Research Working Paper Series from The World Bank

Abstract: This study examines the sustainability and healthiness of Ghana's current dietary patterns and explores pathways for promoting sustainable healthy diets through agrifood policy interventions. Using secondary data from the Food and Agriculture Organization's Statistics, Ghana Statistical Service, and other sources, the study assesses food security dimensions, estimates greenhouse gas emissions from current diets, analyzes the relationship between income and meat consumption, and generates Pareto-optimal dietary solutions. The analysis reveals significant dietary imbalances: Ghanaians overconsume staple foods (279 percent of recommended levels) and severely under-consume fruits (57 percent); vegetables (43 percent); and legumes, pulses, and nuts (20 percent). Despite adequate national caloric availability (135 percent adequacy), 63 percent of the population cannot afford healthy diets, with 21.1 million people facing affordability constraints. Ghana's current dietary patterns generate 46 million metric tons per year of greenhouse gas emissions and fail to meet international sustainability targets, with a positive correlation (0.3 percent increase per 1,000 GHS income) between economic development and meat consumption. Pareto optimization demonstrates that although government dietary guidelines can achieve up to 32 percent emissions reduction at higher costs, EAT-Lancet recommendations offer superior outcomes with 47 percent lower costs and 70 percent lower emissions. The policy landscape analysis spanning 2014–23 reveals progress from food security–focused to holistic approaches incorporating nutrition and sustainability. Key recommendations include revising national dietary guidelines to align with sustainability targets, enhancing production support for diverse crops, improving food system infrastructure, and developing sustainable protein transition policies to decouple economic growth from increased environmental impacts.

Date: 2025-09-02
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