Some of the participants at the fair Photo Ebo Gorman
This year’s Ghana Garden and Flower Show (GGFS) opened in Accra, on Friday.
The sixth edition of the event organised by Stratcomm Africa, a communications firm, in partnership with the GGFS Movement is on the theme, ‘Enriching Ghana, a garden at a time’.
The event that attracted 150 exhibitors have products on display include flowers, herbs and spices, ornamental plants, garden tools and ornaments, garden pots, compost, garden furniture as well as creative pieces from Constance Swaniker’s Accents and Arts.
Opening the show in Accra last Friday, Esther Cobbah, Chief Executive Officer of Stratcomm Africa, stressed the need for Ghanaians to continue to protect the environment and create awareness on maintaining it cleaner and beautiful.
She said the event was aimed at sensitising the Ghanaian public on the importance of garden and flowers as well as make available to them supportive mechanisms and knowledge needed in raising garden and flowers.
“Unfortunately, what has become of our environment is rather a plastic garden that ultimately destroys the environment. We have launched a campaign against plastic gardens, we want flower and vegetable gardens,” she stated.
Madam Cobbah encouraged all to get involved adding that “garden and flowering can be done everywhere with basic household items and not only for residential areas”.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Director of AFRITEC WEST 2 at the Technical Assistance Centre in Accra, Oral Hiworth Williams, said the GGFS was an important initiative which falls in line with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 13 and 15 which call for actions to mitigate climate change and promote sustainable ways to protect the environment.
He noted climate change had become more frequent, hence the GGFS would help create awareness on the detrimental effects of environmental degradation.
Further to this, he said the promotion of garden and flowers in the country would generate jobs and incomes.
Mr. Williams commended President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for his plans to make Accra a greener and cleanest city in Africa by 2020 and lauded Ghana for taking steps in cutting environmental challenges particularly illegal mining,over fishing and waste management.
Mr. Ron Strikker, Netherlands Ambassador to Ghana, noted that floriculture, which involves trees and gardens he said, were important in today’s global economy as they generate foreign exchange and jobs.
Accordingly, he said it could become an essential component of Ghana’s economy, if young people were encouraged to take up gardening.
“The economic benefits are enormous. Aside that, flowers and gardens are good for our body, minds and our lives.They make us happy too. Let us join hands to make Ghana cleaner and greener,” he said.
BY CLAUDE NYARKO ADAMS AND ABEDUWAA LUCY APPIAH
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