Peasant farmers have raised alarm that Ghana’s annual $3.5 billion food import bill could rise sharply if illegal mining (galamsey) continues to destroy farmlands and contaminate water sources.
The warning follows a year-long study by Pure Earth and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which uncovered dangerously high levels of mercury, arsenic, lead, and other heavy metals across major artisanal and small-scale gold mining areas. Researchers say the findings pose an immediate threat to public health and food security.
Speaking to Citi Business News, Bismark Nortey, Executive Director of the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana, urged government to treat the report as a wake-up call.
“If farmers are forced to abandon production because of contaminated soils and water, the impact on food supply will be catastrophic. Our $3.5 billion food import bill—which we already complain about—could escalate even more as Ghanaians become wary of locally produced food,” Nortey warned.
Disturbing Findings from the Study
The study, Mercury and Other Heavy Metals Impact Assessment, conducted from August 2024 to September 2025, tested soil, water, air, fish, and food crops across six regions—Ashanti, Eastern, Central, Western, Western North, and Savannah—and revealed widespread pollution:
- Mercury Pollution Off the Charts: Soil in Konongo Zongo (Ashanti Region) recorded mercury levels of 1,342 ppm, more than 130 times the safe limit, while airborne mercury in Wassa Kayianko (Western Region) reached 150 μg/m³, far exceeding Ghana’s permissible level.
- Arsenic Contamination: Soil in Konongo Zongo contained 10,060 ppm of arsenic—4000% above safe levels—while water in Konongo Odumase showed concentrations of 3.3 mg/L, dangerously higher than global drinking water standards.
- Lead in Food and Fish: Fish from Akwaboso (Central Region) and Konongo Zongo contained lead levels up to 2.8 mg/kg, surpassing WHO safety limits. Vegetables such as pumpkin leaves in Western North showed lead levels of 3.1 mg/kg.
- Crops Across Regions Affected: Kontomire, tomatoes, cereals, legumes, and tubers all tested positive for mercury, arsenic, and lead, in some cases far above international food safety thresholds.
- Contaminated Drinking Water: Boreholes and streams in several communities recorded lead and arsenic levels well above WHO guidelines, posing direct risks to human health.
Public Health and Food Security at Stake
Researchers warn that residents in mining communities face chronic exposure through inhalation, ingestion, and skin contact, with potential long-term effects on the nervous system, kidneys, and child development.
The report calls for urgent multi-sectoral action, including low-cost remediation pilots such as phytoremediation in pollution hotspots like Konongo Zongo, and stronger enforcement of mining regulations to protect food systems and public health.
Nortey stressed that without immediate government intervention, Ghana risks higher food imports, shrinking local agricultural output, and a worsening public health crisis.
