The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) in Ghana has teamed up with the media in reporting extensively on agricultural-related issues.
This new initiative by the organization is to make agricultural information and research materials of the FAO more accessible to the media in order to help promote the organization’s goal of alleviating hunger in the country through agricultural growth.
Mr. David Youngs, Information Resource Assistant of FAO-Ghana, revealed this in a meeting in Accra which brought together senior officials of the organization and journalists from Diplomatic Call and other media houses.
According to Mr. Youngs, the collaboration is mutually beneficial for both parties since it would enable the media get firsthand information about the activities of the organization as well as helping them with as much information on agricultural related stories.
He added that the FAO would organize capacity enhancing workshops for journalists in order to educate and update them on agricultural methods and processes in order to aid them on their reports on agriculture.
Dr. Justin Chinsenga, the Knowledge and Information Management Officer of FAO, who was also present at the meeting noted that the new initiative is not an attempt by the FAO to influence media reportages on its activities but rather an effort to encourage more interactions between the FAO and the media in the accomplishment of the greater goal of fighting hunger in the country and the world at large.
The FAO is an organization of the United Nation responsible for the sharing and transmission of knowledge on agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishing. One of its express missions is to aid developing countries in modernizing their farm, forest and fishing sectors with the aim of ensuring food security.
By: Prince Asare, Diplomatic Call.
