Accra: Illegal mining activities, known locally as galamsey, are threatening the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Ghana’s Upper East Region, leading to significant food insecurity and environmental degradation. Farmers like Nyaaba Dittoh and Sagbila Yinbil have been forced to abandon their lands due to the destructive impact of these mining operations, which have left once fertile farmlands barren and unproductive.
According to Ghana News Agency, Nyaaba Dittoh, a 62-year-old farmer from Nabdam District, and Sagbila Yinbil, a 52-year-old farmer from Talensi District, are among the many whose lives have been disrupted by illegal mining. Nyaaba, who once relied on his four-acre land to cultivate crops like millet and maize, now struggles to make ends meet after miners turned his farmland into a muddy wasteland. Similarly, Sagbila has seen his three-and-a-half-acre soybean farm devastated, leaving him unable to sustain his family’s livelihood.
The General Agriculture Workers Union of the Trade Union Congress in Ghana reports that the country has lost 2.5 million hectares of forest reserves due to uncontrolled mining. Additionally, the Ghana Cocoa Board noted a loss of 19,000 hectares of cocoa farmlands in 2022 to illegal mining. World Vision Ghana highlights that 40 percent of the nation’s forest reserves have been degraded, with the Upper East Region severely affected.
Northern Ghana, particularly the Upper East, Upper West, and Savannah Regions, is experiencing a surge in illegal mining activities due to rich mineral deposits. Despite the presence of large-scale mining companies, illegal operations continue to spread, devastating communities and farmlands. Deep pits and abandoned lands are common sights in districts like Talensi, Nabdam, and Bawku West, where farmers have been forced to relinquish their lands.
The situation has profound implications for food security in Northern Ghana, where many families depend on agriculture. Alhaji Zakaria Fuseini, Upper East Regional Director of the Department of Agriculture, expressed concern over the impact of illegal mining on farmers and the region’s food supply. Mr. Wepia Awal Adugwala, National President of the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana, emphasized the critical role of smallholder farmers in the country’s food production, warning of the dire consequences if illegal mining persists.
Environmental experts like Dr. Asher Nkegbe, Upper East Regional Director of the Environmental Protection Agency, stress the urgent need for sustainable land management to combat climate change and achieve Sustainable Development Goals. Dr. Nkegbe calls for intensified education on the adverse effects of illegal mining and stronger regulation enforcement to protect the environment and local communities.
The call for action is clear: the government must strengthen law enforcement measures and consider banning mining activities on farmlands, water bodies, and forest reserves to safeguard Ghana’s food security and environmental health. The plight of farmers like Nyaaba and Sagbila underscores the urgent need for collective efforts to address the illegal mining crisis in the region.