Macroeconomic Determinants of Food Security in Ghana

Hunger remains a persistent development challenge in sub-Saharan Africa, and Ghana is no exception despite decades of policy interventions and economic growth. This study investigates the macroeconomic determinants of food security in Ghana over the period 2001-2022, focusing on the roles of public agricultural employment, agricultural expenditure, and food inflation. Using ordinary least squares regression with a robust standard error, the study addresses potential heteroskedasticity and autocorrelation, ensuring robust inference. The results show that increased government spending on agriculture significantly reduces hunger rates, supporting the view that targeted investments in rural productivity and infrastructure are critical for sustainable food security. In contrast, a higher share of employment in agriculture is associated with increased hunger, highlighting the structural weakness of low-productivity in subsistence farming and emphasizing the need for rural economic transformation.

The study recommends scaling up effective agricultural investments, modernizing the agricultural workforce to enhance productivity, and implementing stronger food price stabilization measures to accelerate progress toward achieving Zero Hunger in Ghana.