Bismark Owusu Nortey, Executive Director of the Peasant Farmers Association, has raised a stark warning about Ghana’s impending food crisis, attributing the threat to the rampant practice of galamsey.
According to Owusu Nortey, the uncontrolled mining activities are not only destroying farmlands but also contaminating vital water bodies such as the Bui Dam, River Ankobra, and River Pra.
These essential resources, once used for crop cultivation, are now tainted with heavy metals, raising severe concerns about the future of food quality and supply in the country.
The destruction of agricultural land and water sources is exacerbating the crisis, with many farmlands now rendered unusable.
Owusu Nortey emphasizes that the contamination extends beyond just the soil and water; it affects the entire agricultural ecosystem, making it difficult to ensure the quality of the food produced.
The shift of the youth from agriculture to galamsey sites has further depleted the sector, compounding the problem of food production and quality.
Highlighting the gravity of the situation, Owusu Nortey warns that if the current trend continues unchecked, Ghana faces a significant risk to both food security and public health.
He stressed that the country is indeed on a “timebomb,” with the potential to compromise the health of its population due to the deteriorating state of its agricultural resources.
