The transformation of urban food systems in Ghana: Findings from inventories of processed products

Abstract

Urban food systems in Ghana are changing, along with rapid urbanization and growth in household incomes. Using data from retail inventories of packaged products carried out in eight cities in 2015 and 2016, we find that the interplay of urbanization, imports and domestic processing and packaging has led to some surprising outcomes. Imports are dominant, especially for milled rice and tomato paste, and the shares are higher in smaller cities than in Accra. Imported products are more prevalent in traditional retail outlets than in modern retail outlets. Moreover, imported products come mainly from East Asia; excluding South Africa, which accounts for 6% of imports, less than 3% of imported products were from other African countries.

Mapping Obesogenic Food Environments in South Africa and Ghana: Correlations and Contradictions

“…The findings confirm the conclusions reached by several previous studies, namely that: (i) there is a co-existence of a diverse range of formal and informal food outlets [66,68,82,85,86]; (ii) obesogenic foods are widely prevalent and available [65,87]; (iii) supermarket expansion in particular is making ultra-processed and other obesogenic foods more accessible, although also offering access to a range of healthy options [25,38,46,85,87,117]; and (iv) there are high levels of consumption of obesogenic foods. This appears correlated with a local food geography which presents a large proportion of outlets with high prevalence of obesogenic foods.…”

“…In Ghana, not only has there been a rise in supermarkets but ultra-processed foods have also penetrated the traditional food retail outlets and are widely available. Although about 6% of processed foods in Ghana are imported from South Africa, they derive predominantly from continents other than Africa [65]. In South Africa, the food retail transition has unfolded extensively-shopping malls and supermarkets are rapidly expanding into erstwhile underserviced, impoverished neighbourhoods, as documented for Cape Town [66][67][68][69].…”

Can local products compete against imports in West Africa? Supply-and demand-side perspectives on chicken, rice, and tilapia in Accra, Ghana

“…For chicken and rice, the results confirm the dominance of imported products and countries of origin, in line with earlier market studies (Andam et al 2018). For example, although local fresh chicken consistently has higher WTP and actual prices, imported chicken from USA had the most favourable ratings and most respondents selected it as their best brand.…”

“…Key informants indicated that local chicken is tastier, and many Ghanaians perceive that local meat is healthier and safer for consumption because it contains lower amounts of chemicals and hormone additives (see findings below on perceptions of local versus imports). However, in market surveys, the research team found only one branded local chicken product (Aglow), although some key informants mentioned that other brands are available intermittently, and an inventory of chicken products in Accra and other cities found very few local brands (Andam et al 2018). Thus, the niche for local chicken is filled mostly through the live bird markets.…”

The Food Desert as a Concept and Policy Tool in African Cities: An Opportunity and a Risk

“…And while spaza stores do sell some fresh produce, they generally sell sweets, sodas, potato chips, and other highly processed foods in greater quantities. The high presence of unhealthy traditional street foods and modern highly processed foods has also been noted in research in Ghana [59] and across the SADC region [60] and calls a wider interrogation of trade and agricultural policy. This mixed-food environment with a high presence of less healthy foods has provoked some researchers to discuss the food swamp rather than the food desert [61].…”