Food Security in Ghanaian Urban Cities: A Scoping Review of the Literature.

Robert Akparibo,Gisele Infield Solar,Samantha J Caton,Kingsley Kwadwo Pereko,Evans Atiah Asamane,Richmond Nii Okai Aryeetey,Vicki Cormie,Elysa Ioannou,Hibbah Arabah Osei-Kwasi,Francis Kweku Amagloh,Joanne E Cecil

doi:10.3390/nu13103615

Abstract

Urbanisation in Ghana could be negatively impacting the state of food security, especially in economically vulnerable groups. Food supply, safety, and quality are all aspects of food security which could be impacted. We conducted a scoping literature review to understand the nature and magnitude of evidence available on the urban food security situation in Ghana. A literature search was conducted in Medline, CINAHL, Embase, Global Health, Scopus, Web of Science, Africa Wide Information and Google Scholar to identify relevant peer-reviewed and grey literature. 45 studies, mainly cross-sectional surveys/food samples analysis, met the inclusion criteria. The majority of studies were concentrated in the Greater Accra Region (n = 24). Most studies focused on food safety and quality (n = 31). Studies on supply and stability were, however, scarce. Qualitative research methods were uncommon in the included studies. The existing literature on food security are concentrated in two regions: The Greater Accra and Ashanti regions. Future studies exploring food security in urban Ghana should focus on exploring the lived experiences and perceptions of food insecurity and food stability by urban-dwellers using qualitative methods. The evidence suggesting that the safety/quality of foods sold in Ghanaian markets is poor should be a concern to consumers and policy makers.

Highlights

The conclusion drawn from the review are based on the available studies and not their intrinsic quality or strength of the evidence. This scoping review has presented a rapid overview of the existing research published on urban household food security situation in Ghana, by reporting data from 45 academic literature/studies that reported on the issue explored
This review has identified that, in urban settings in Ghana, food safety and quality as a key component of food security has been widely studied, and the evidence reported suggesting that the safety/quality of foods sold in Ghanaian markets is poor, and below the Ghanaian and international food safety acceptable standards
These findings are useful in informing our understanding of what has been studied in Ghana, in terms of urban food security and where research gaps are, the findings will aid policy formulation, interventions and further research decision making about food security in Ghanaian urban cities

Summary

Introduction

Living in urban areas increases access to income-generating opportunities as well as infrastructure and services that improve quality of living. Such services may include potable water, electricity, health care, schooling, information communication technologies, and paved roads, among others [2]. Without appropriate planning and interventions, urban areas can quickly become slums where a combination of poverty, inadequate and unsafe housing, and limited opportunities to access basic services can affect residents ability to access basic necessities of life, including availability, and access to quality food and water [1]. Interventions are required to prevent these adverse responses from happening in urban areas in Ghana

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Discussion

Conclusion