Pesticide Misuse: A major Threat To Farmers Health, Food

The misuse of pesticides, some of them banned, in Northern Ghana is seriously affecting the health of farmers, sometimes with fatal consequences, and contaminating crops, a new survey by Northern Presbyterian Agricultural Services has revealed.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 1 to 5 million cases of pesticide poisoning occurs every year, resulting in 20,000 fatalities among agricultural workers, most of them in developing countries including Ghana. Another estimate is that pesticides misuse cause 14% of all known occupational injuries in agriculture and 10% of all fatal injuries. African farmers use only around 4% of the world’s pesticides but pesticide use is widespread. 

Also, a 2008 study – the most comprehensive analysis of pesticide contamination on farmers in Ghana according to Reverend Daniel Oppong-Wereko, National Director for Development and Social Service of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, found the presence of organo chlorine pesticide residues, including DDT, in breast milk and blood of vegetable farmers. Some women farmers had accumulated pesticide residues in breast milk above the ‘tolerable daily intake’ guidelines beyond which they had adverse health effects on their children. Yet policy makers, he said, know little about the real extent of pesticide poisonings since there are no official figures.  

Christian Aid partner, Northern Presbyterian Agricultural Services found in their survey, that more than a quarter of the farmers interviewed, had suffered from directly inhaling pesticides whereas; many had also spilt the chemicals on their skin. 

Pesticides are often kept near food stores – a practice believed to have caused the deaths of 15 farmers in late 2010 through seepage. In addition, farmers regularly put the wrong pesticides on crops, use stocks that have past their expiry date, and spray too close to harvest time, the survey revealed.

The survey entitled: “Ghana’s Pesticide Crisis; The Need for Further Government Action”, says seven banned or restricted pesticides appear to still be in use in Ghana, with the government failing to act, despite the fact that: “numerous academic studies show alarming levels of poisoning” among farmers and the public.

Launching the report in Tamale, the organization called for better training and routine health checks for farmers, as well as monitoring of the chemicals used, and routine testing of the food produced.

It also called on the Ghanaian government to move away from reliance on pesticides in farming and invest more in sustainable ways of farming.

The survey covered nearly 200 farmers in 14 villages in the Upper East Region of Ghana, but its findings are inevitably common to many developing countries, said Kato Lambrechts, Christian Aid’s Senior Advocacy and Policy Officer for Africa.

The report underlines how difficult it is for governments in the developing world to monitor properly the pesticides used, and the way they are applied by farmers, she said, adding that it highlights the need for governments to make concerted efforts to support farmers to move away from intensive farming techniques towards more sustainable methods that don’t require the use of lots of chemicals.

According to her, at present, the pesticide trade in Ghana is so lucrative that advertising is prominent and there are now as many as 50 importers, some of them bringing in illegal supplies. These are passed on to unscrupulous dealers who double as agricultural advisers to the farmers because, government extension services are inadequate.

The report says that farmers misusing pesticides risk cancer, birth defects, impotency in male farmers and damage to the central nervous system. More common problems include skin irritations, headaches, general body weakness, difficulty in breathing and dizziness. 

Thus, it reports suspicions, that the 15 deaths thought to have occurred in November 2010 from pesticides leaking into food stocks might be just the tip of the ice berg, with some senior health officials believing that a number of ‘natural’ deaths might also be attributable to pesticide use.

The alternatives to pesticides that the report advocates include various sustainable agricultural practices such as organic farming – involving no use of chemical pesticides –and integrated pest management (IPM) – which reduces but does not usually reject entirely the use of chemicals.

Organic approaches can also involve crop rotation, intercropping, and planting of trap plants and plants that serve as habitats for beneficial insects. If preventive measures are insufficient, insecticides derived from natural plant extracts, natural soap or minerals or plant extracts such as neem can be applied. 

It says that experience has shown that organic farming approaches can be successful in Northern Ghana, and are often more productive and cost-effective than reliance on chemical pesticides. But they are not being widely pursued because farmers have little information about them and the government mainly promotes pesticides. 

The Northern Regional Director of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Joseph Faalong, who launched the report on behalf of the Minister for Agriculture said government, has had several interventions put in place both at the national and regional levels to mitigate the dangers of pesticides misuse.

He cited interventions such as government’s encouragement of the Occupational Safety Unit of the Ghana Health Service to produce new programmes meant for public awareness creation on the dangers of pesticides misuse, and continuous efforts of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address the influx of pesticides onto the market and regularly impressing upon the pesticides firms to comply with the licensing regulations.

Mr. Faalong called on Parliament to expedite action on the draft subsidiary legislation of the EPA Act to ensure a better environment, adding that, there is the need to ensure the establishment of the Plant Protection Fund for the enforcement of pesticides laws put in place by the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Department. 

The MoFA Director called on Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies in the Country to immediately develop, as part of their Medium Term Development Plans, a coherent plan on the use of alternatives.

Mr. Joseph Faalong further stressed on the need for the various agencies responsible for addressing issues of pesticides use such as the EPA and MoFA Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate to step up strategies to get exporters and farmers educated on policies and regulations regarding safe use of pesticides in the country.

Workshop On Climate Change Enhance CSOs In The North In NCCPF On Agric

In the wake of climate change discourses at the governmental level and international conferences, Ghana has developed a National Climate Change Policy Framework (NCCPF), a strategy document intended to respond to the climate change problems facing the country.  

Climate change poses a great challenge to many sectors on which livelihoods of poor people as well as the economic development of the nation as a whole depend. Agriculture is one key sector where impacts are being felt especially by those who directly depend on it. As such, the agricultural sector has been identified by the NCCPF as one of the key areas for intervention.  

At the moment, government, through the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST), is progressing to elaborate plans under the NCCPF for the key sectors being affected by climate change including the agriculture sector. However, development of an effective agriculture sector plan to respond to climate change will demand that those who directly depend on agriculture are engaged and involved at all the stages. 

In view of the aforesaid, Friends of the Earth (FoE) Ghana, an international non-governmental organization in collaboration with the MEST, has organized a one-day workshop in Tamale, bringing together representatives of NGOs, Farmer-Based Organizations, opinion leaders, Faith- Based Organizations and the media to disseminate information on the status and issues of the national climate change sector plans process, and to brainstorm on key agriculture sector issues of relevance to the participants and their constituents in the face of the changing climate.

Opening the workshop, George B.K. Awudi, Coordinator of Climate Change Programme at FoE-Ghana, said it was worthy of note, that climate change affected all and did not know boundaries, but was quick to add that the impacts were also felt differently by people and by different ecological zones. Therefore, attempts to find response measures that were effective, he noted, demands involvement and engagement of all stakeholders especially those who were most severely impacted.

Mr. Awudi reckoned that the stakeholders at the grassroots could only engage positively and make their voices heard if they were informed about the process and their capacity enhanced for effective engagement.

According to him, the objective of the workshop thus, was to disseminate information on the status and issues of the NCCPF process including future plans; and enhance the ability of civil society organisations, local communities and opinion leaders to effectively engage in the process of climate change decision making especially in the Northern Zone, in the development of agriculture and food security sector plans to combat climate change.

He explained that FoE and the MEST intended to reach CSOs, FBOs, communities and opinion leaders in twelve Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies in the three regions of the North considered to be high climate change prone areas, which include Tamale Metropolis, Savelugu-Nanton Municipality, Bolgatanga Municipality, Wa Municipality, West Mamprusi, Tolon-Kumbungu, Builsa, Talensi-Nabdam, Kasina-Nabdam, Kasina-Nankana, Wa East and Wa West Districts.  

Adding, Mr. Awudi said, it is expected that the activity would help the beneficiary organisations and communities to organise around climate change policy decision making processes and to serve as contact points for government consultations.

It would also facilitate linkages between organisations and communities and government climate change policy makers and their agents for future collaboration in the planning and implementation of climate change matters. 

NCCPF, way forward and the agric sector

The NCCPF is in 3 parts. Part 1 of the NCCPF deals with situational analysis of climate change, policy issues and policy options.  

Part 2 proposes development of sector specific strategies to deal with climate change whereas part 3 proposes to deal with implementation plan with budgetary indications, and development of specific sector plans/strategies for the prioritized areas to address climate change in the NCCPF.

Following the part 1, motion is being set towards part 2, that is, the development of the sector plans/strategies for the prioritized areas to address climate change in the NCCPF. Lead Consultants and sector experts will be engaged in the development of the sector strategies.

The Consultant will identify the strategies, gaps in existing sector policies and implementation related to climate change, and further identify existing institutional and human capacities for dealing with climate change risks and opportunities as it relates to the prioritized sector.

How do we engage and make our voice heard?

The Climate Change Programme Coordinator of FoE indicated that, the strategies once developed, will be owned by the sectors, urging NGOs, famers and their organizations, women groups, opinion leaders, the media, among others, to be concerned with this progress and process.

WANEP: 2012 Polls In Ghana Will Determine Peace In Conflict Prone Communities

Conflict resolution NGO, the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP-Ghana), has released its quarterly report on the National Human Security Alert, insisting that the 2012 general elections in Ghana would likely determine the peace situations in conflict prone communities across the country.

This latest report by WANEP-Ghana further puts more weight on a similar report released in the last quarter of 2011 which warned the country’s leadership to take serious steps to pre-empt any violent situation as election 2012 approaches.

The report highlighted three proximate issues of concern in the period January to March 2012 and they were politically related tensions, chieftaincy incidents and armed robbery and circulation of arms. Other issues identified but not highlighted in this edition of the report were nationwide electricity blackouts and recurrent labour union unrests which are emerging as slow moving security threats and could be more explosive in the future.

The identification, according to the report signed by the National Network Coordinator of WANEP-Ghana Mr. Justin Bayor, was based on analysis of data recorded, which showed scale and magnitude in its Early Warning database as well as information gathered through field focus group discussions with stakeholders and WANEP-Ghana chapter members across the country. They were also identified as most threatening because of their potential to easily degenerate into large scale violence if no adequate interventions are carried. Again, the factors in each of these conversely influence the others and could increase as the NGO prepared towards the 2012 general elections in the country.

Chieftaincy Related Tensions

From the 66 incidents recorded, 15 of them were violent cases. Of the 15 violence cases, the report noted that 2 of them were direct chieftaincy related violence and 2 were ethnic/chieftaincy arson cases.

Also, there were chieftaincy related threats of violence, some of which almost resulted in acts of violence. Out of 7 threats of violence recorded in the month of March, 5 were chieftaincy related. These incidents for instance occurred in Gomoah in the Central Region, Yendi, and Bimbilla in the Northern Region, Ngleshie Amanfro in the Ga South Municipality of the Greater Accra Region and Tanoboase in the Brong-Ahafo Region.

Besides, in Yendi, tensions rose over the celebrations and enskinment of sub-chiefs and the perceived intention to enskin a second regent of Dagbon. In Bimbilla there was also simmering tensions after the ruling by the Northern Region House of Chiefs on the protracted Nanung chieftaincy dispute.

The report further observed that chieftaincy cases in Ghana, particularly in the Northern Sector were largely influenced by political activities and regimes. Factional members in political or public positions, it said, were perceived to have the power to decide who could or could not be a chief or could make a sitting chief powerless. They were also perceived to create economic and social opportunities that place factional members above opponents. The rising threats according to the report were likely due to the tendency for chieftaincy factions to demand a resolution of the disputes, especially in an election year, even when their affiliate political party was not in power in the event that their demands could be justified when their affiliate party comes into power later on.

Again, the tendency to make demands in order to polarize the situation, with the view to making one party lose or win elections in their support bases, was very much evident. Therefore, WANEP-Ghana still insists that the 2012 general elections would likely determine the peace situations within these communities and across the country.

Politically Motivated Violence

According to the report, of 15 violent incidents recorded within the period, 3 were politically motivated with 1 occurring in the month of January and 2 in February 2012. Again, out of a total of 12 incidents of public/labour demonstrations, it said 5 of these were politically influenced and increased from 1 in January to 2 each in February and March, noting, that also represented the highest. Threats of violence were 7 and recorded in the month of March alone as 2 of these originated from political activities, it revealed.

For instance, the report stated that there was near clash between some members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) including its National Youth Organiser and some National Democratic Congress (NDC) supporters at Asempa FM in Accra on February 22, 2012. The disturbance emanated from misunderstandings over allegations, denials and counter allegations as well as alleged attack by the radio host.

Again, in February 12, 2012, the report mentioned that a man believed to be a party member and also an Assemblyman was shot dead at Badoor, near Bawku, by unknown assailants. Additionally, on March 9, 2012 tension increased among faction members of the NDC at Ledzekuku Constituency in the Greater Accra Region after their primaries to elect the party’s parliamentary candidate for the 2012 elections, the report noted, citing the playing of ethnic cards as the cause of the misunderstanding.

The report thus maintained, that the aforesaid, are an indication of the increasing anxiety over the outcomes of the December 2012 general elections in Ghana. Adding, that the political activities are fuelled by high intra and inter politically motivated direct insults on personalities and on their persons, unproven allegations, and insinuative languages that have the tendency to ignite violence or create opportunities for “conflict profiteers” to exploit insecurity situation during the 2012 elections to perpetuate violence.

Recommendations

In the face of these threats, WANEP-Ghana called on the Upper East, Northern, Brong Ahafo and Greater Accra Houses of Chiefs to be more proactive and discuss further to find win-win options to the protracted and simmering chieftaincy tensions within their jurisdictions.

The report pleaded for government-backed security swoop on all areas with chieftaincy/political tensions to retrieve any stockpile of arms and ammunitions within factions. Such efforts, it says, should also be directed at criminal hideouts.

It encouraged the Parliamentary Select Committee on Chieftaincy and the courts to view unresolved chieftaincy cases as threats to national peace in 2012 and 2013.

Besides, it renewed its call on government, international institutions and civil society groups to increase the communications, transport and ammunition detection capacities of the security agencies, stressing that the police should also be provided with bullet-proof uniforms and equipments to enable them respond effectively to violence and crime situations and with limited casualties.

Moreover, the report urged the youth of political and traditional disputing factions to expose political and chieftaincy members who might want to influence them to perpetuate violence. It suggested that such persons or their children who are young be challenged to lead in the violence.

While advocating for collaboration between the police, CEPS officials, immigration service and the communities to increase border security as well as identify the sources of arms in the country to reduce the movement of, and use of small arms and ammunitions; the report appealed to government and its agencies to find ways of dealing with the increasing labour unrests and end the frequent nationwide power outages because they were increasingly becoming security threats.

GOVT TO PROVIDE 500 COMMUNITIES IN N/R WITH ELECTRICITY

Statistics from Ghana’s Energy Ministry have showed that Northern Ghana is still the darkest part of the whole country in terms of electricity coverage with the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions having coverage rates of 43.52%, 30.39% and 31.95% respectively.

As a result of this development imbalance, industrial activities that depend on electricity for production are inadequate in number, hence the slow pace of development being experienced over the years in major sectors of the economy that need electricity to thrive.

In view of this, government is connecting 500 communities in the Northern Region to the Turnkey Rural Electrification Project (TREP) this year.

It would be recalled that, President John Evans Atta Mills, in April last year cut sod for commencement of work on the Northern Regional Turnkey Electrification Project. He indicated that the government had secured a US$120 million loan facility from the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China to improve on the current 43.52 electricity access rate.

Although the project suffered some delays following the sod-cutting, government said its aim was to complete 5 communities in each of the 20 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) by the end of September, 2012 and the total of 500 communities in the next four years.

Alhaji Abdulai Inusah Fuseini, Deputy Minister of Energy and Member of Parliament for Tamale Central Constituency announced in Tamale, when he formally introduced the contractor responsible for the project execution, Hunan Construction Engineering Group Corporation of China, to the Northern Regional Coordinating Council (RCC), the MMDAs and other stakeholders.

According to him, it was the resolve of government in the medium term, to raise the accessibility rates of electricity supply to the three Northern Regions nearer to the national average of 72%, adding that, the project together with 76 communities with works ongoing under the Self-Help Electrification Programme (SHEP) and scheduled to be completed in December 2012 would do exactly that.

He said the project was anticipated to benefit about 484,000 households in the 20 MMDAs in the region and create in its wake 30 permanent jobs and 200 temporary ones. “The beneficiary communities however must be the ears and eyes of the Ministry during the execution of this project. Do not hesitate to bring to the attention of the Ministry anything you suspect to be untoward. Our common motivation in this exercise should be that we must get value for money”, he stressed.

Alhaji Inusah Fuseini however emphasised that the local content component of the Project, which required that at least 30% of the employees where indigenes was adhered to and not compromised saying “The Ministry of Energy’s advise therefore to Hunan Construction Engineering Group Corporation is to ensure that Ghanaians, particularly the indigenes of the North become involved in the execution of this contract.”

He stated categorically that there would be no compensation issue in the implementation of the Project and asked the MMDCEs to collaborate with the contractor to resolve all problems that might come up.

The Deputy Minister of Energy also disclosed that the approved service connection fees to be paid by prospective customers was GH¢ 0.58p for a single phase connection and GH¢ 1.16p for a 3- phase connection and warned against the collection of unapproved fees.

Meanwhile, the Northern Regional Minister, Mr. Moses Bukari Mabengba, urged the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives to consult with the communities and other stakeholders to find out their views on the electrification project to ensure its smooth implementation.

He acknowledged the high competence and skill of the contractor and hoped that he would execute a very good job in the region.