2024 Ghana Garden and Flower Show opens in Accra

The much-anticipated 2024 Ghana Garden and Flower Show (GGFS) officially opened today in Accra, drawing gardening enthusiasts, environmentalists, and nature lovers from across the country and beyond.

Held at the Efua Sutherland Children’s Park, the event promises to be a vibrant celebration of horticulture, sustainability, and the beauty of nature.

This year’s theme, “GREENOVATION: Green the Nation, Feed the Nation, Grow the Nation,” highlights the importance of innovation in addressing today’s pressing global issues—climate change, environmental degradation, and food insecurity.

For over a decade, the Ghana Garden and Flower Movement (GGFM), pioneered by Strategic Communication Africa Limited (Stratcomm Africa), has been championing the potential of floriculture, horticulture, and agriculture to drive social and economic transformation.

The flagship GGFS serves as a key platform for flower and plant businesses, enthusiasts, and stakeholders to promote sustainability and climate action.

Amid the pressing challenges posed by climate change, the GGFM highlights the critical role of these industries in environmental stewardship, food security, and the broader fight against climate change. Recent weather disruptions, including the adverse conditions that affected the February show, underscore the vulnerabilities of Ghana’s floriculture and horticulture sector, which is crucial for food security and sustainability.

The 2024 GGFS will focus on expanding horticultural participation while promoting home gardening to enhance food security. As Ghana strives for food self-sufficiency by 2029, GGFM and GGFS will be key platforms addressing environmental challenges.

Sharon Amin, marketing manager at Stratcomm Africa, said activities for this year’s show included Gardening Masterclasses on urban and climate-resilient gardening and creating irrigation systems at home on 23rd and 28th September 2024. The highly anticipated Green to Riches Youth Conference, showcasing opportunities for young people in green enterprises, sharing innovations in agriculture, and success stories to inspire the next generation of green entrepreneurs, will happen on 27th September 2024. The Little Green Fingers programme, which will teach children the importance of plants and environmental conservation, will take place on 23rd, 27th, 28th, and 29th September.

“The Efua Sutherland book stroll combines the love of reading and nature throughout the week. Other activities include a drama night, music night, and our petal tossing ceremony to close the 2024 edition of the Ghana Garden and Flower Show,” she added.

Amowi Sutherland-Phillips, daughter of Dr. Efua Sutherland, said the name on the park was only truly meaningful when attention was given to Efua Sutherland’s vision: to secure this space in perpetuity as a measure of Ghana’s dedication to her children for years to come.

“Efua Sutherland’s vision, translated for the 21st century, sees a green, vibrant, culturally grounded, well-managed park which is open to all, and is a destination that we can be justifiably proud of, sitting in the company of many other national heritage markers in this area of Accra.”

“Her vision sees a tree zone which serves as a vital lung of the city, and an environmentally sensitive design showcasing Ghana’s indigenous natural heritage, with representation from all our regions,” she stated.

Sutherland-Phillips stressed that it was going to take a huge sustained communal effort to bring this space back even better than it was before.

“Everyone who participates in the GGF Movement and Show in any capacity moves us towards this goal. The Sutherland family admires and commends you, and we wish you a truly successful show in this coming week,” she added.