How food safety is transforming the lives of women bushmeat traders in Ghana

“Before FAO came, we thought this was simply how bushmeat should be sold because it was how our mothers did it. Today we know that protecting our customers also protects our families,” says Comfort Baidoo.

Baidoo is a bushmeat trader at Kumasi’s Atwemonom Market who was participating in Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) training on food safety. 

Before dawn each day, the women of Atwemonom Market begin preparing for another busy trading day.

Their stalls soon fill with smoked and fresh bushmeat, attracting customers from across the city. For these women, bushmeat is much more than food.

It is the source of household income, school fees, healthcare, and financial security for their families.

In Ghana, bushmeat commonly includes species such as grasscutters (greater cane rats), duikers, bushbuck, porcupines, monkeys, and other small mammals.

Bushmeat is generally defined as the meat of wild animals harvested from forests and other natural habitats.

Behind the vibrant marketplace in Kumasi was a challenge that many consumers never saw.

Bushmeat is a valuable source of animal protein, but if it is not handled safely, it can expose both traders and consumers to foodborne illnesses and diseases that can pass between animals and people.

Poor hygiene practices, limited access to clean storage facilities, and inadequate protective equipment made it difficult for traders to consistently provide safe food while protecting their own health.

Recognizing these challenges, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations partnered with local authorities and the Bushmeat Traders Association through its Better Nutrition programme to strengthen food safety practices among women traders at Atwemonom Market.

The intervention began with listening. Rather than introducing solutions from the outside, FAO spent time with the traders to understand their daily routines, the challenges they faced, and the practical realities of working in one of Ghana’s busiest bushmeat markets.

The women spoke openly about transporting products over long distances, preserving meat without adequate cooling facilities, and working in demanding conditions while trying to maintain the quality of their products. These conversations shaped an intervention that responded directly to their needs.

More than fifty women participated in practical training on Good Hygiene Practices, Good Manufacturing Practices, safe meat handling, personal hygiene, environmental sanitation, and the prevention of foodborne diseases.

The training combined technical knowledge with practical demonstrations that traders could immediately apply in their daily work.

Training alone, however, was not enough

To support the adoption of safer practices, FAO provided insulated ice chests, protective aprons, gloves, and other essential equipment that allowed traders to improve the hygienic handling and storage of bushmeat throughout the trading day. The changes soon became visible across the market.

Protective clothing became more common.

Traders paid greater attention to hand hygiene and the cleanliness of their working areas.

Meat was handled more carefully and stored under improved conditions. Customers began noticing these improvements and expressed greater confidence in purchasing products from traders who visibly demonstrated better hygiene practices.

The women became ambassadors for food safety within their own community.

They shared what they had learned with fellow traders, encouraged better hygiene practices, and recognized that food safety was not simply about complying with standards.

It was about protecting their customers, strengthening their businesses, and safeguarding their own livelihoods.

The initiative also demonstrated the critical role that women play in Ghana’s food systems.

Although many operate within the informal economy, they are central to supplying nutritious food to thousands of households every day. Investing in their knowledge, skills, and working conditions strengthens food security, improves public health, and creates more resilient local food systems.

The experience at Atwemonom Market shows that improving food safety does not always require expensive infrastructure or complex technologies.

Sustainable change often begins with practical knowledge, appropriate equipment, and genuine partnerships with the people who are at the heart of local food systems.

One of the most memorable moments came at the end of the training. Proud of what they had learned and determined to uphold higher standards, the women spontaneously created their own slogan in Twi.

With smiles and applause, they chanted, “FAO, Yɛ Yɛ Neat!” literally meaning “FAO, We Are Neat!” The chant quickly became a shared commitment to cleanliness, safe food handling, and professional pride.