More than 27 million people in the West African sub region including Ghana, are currently facing real food insecurity amidst the devastation of the coronavirus pandemic.

The situation could worsen if immediate and pragmatic steps are not taken by respective governments to turn the downward spiral.

This was revealed at a two-week international conference on the West African Food Security Storage System which ended here in Accra Monday afternoon.

Addressing Agric Ministers of the sub region who participated virtually, Dr. Bawumia reminded them of the threats of hunger and the need for governments to remain committed by shifting from rudimentary ways of farming.

Current statistics shows that post harvest losses in cereal and legumes production as at the end of the 2020 crop season stood at 50%, and 60% percent respectively.

Overcoming that deteriorating development requires targeted investment and political commitment and the vice president didn't mince words.

He charged ECOWAS governments to do more in the sector "to salvage our countries from rudimentary systems of production and ensure high yields and large-scale outputs of our food crops."

He also emphasized on the need to invest in food security in order to prevent further deterioration of the already fragile situation and also to "safeguard public peace" within the sub region.

As part of efforts to insulate the sub regional body's food sector from external shocks, Dr. Bawumia charged the Agric Ministers to "build synergies and capacity to create resilience" within the agricultural value chain in West Africa.