General Secretary of the General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) of TUC-Ghana, Comrade Andrews Addoquaye Tagoe
In a startling statement released by the General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) of TUC-Ghana, which was signed by its General Secretary Comrade Andrews Addoquaye Tagoe, the union has warned that Ghana’s agricultural sector is facing a serious threat from illegal mining activities, commonly known as “galamsey.”
The organization emphasized that galamsey is pushing the nation towards a food security crisis, with devastating consequences for both the environment and the economy.
The GAWU statement paints a dire picture of the current state of agriculture in the country.
According to the union, food security, already a critical issue, is now one of the “scariest looming pandemics” Ghana faces, primarily due to galamsey.
The activities of illegal miners, operating with little interference from state authorities, have wreaked havoc on agricultural land, leading to a scarcity of food and soaring prices.
The galamsey menace has also contributed to climate change and serious health implications, affecting not only the current population but also future generations.
GAWU called on the government to intensify efforts to curb this menace before it spirals out of control.
The destruction caused by galamsey is massive. According to GAWU, over 7,470 cluster categories of illegal mining operations exist across Ghana.
These operations have severely damaged farmlands and water bodies, leaving informal workers in the agriculture sector vulnerable to job and income insecurity.
A recent report by ResearchGate highlighted that Ghana has lost approximately 2.5 million hectares of forest reserve to illegal mining, a devastating blow to the country’s biodiversity.
“The environmental impact of galamsey is far-reaching, stripping away vegetation, topsoil, and destroying ecosystems that are critical for sustainable agriculture,” the statement read.
The effects of deforestation and environmental degradation caused by illegal mining have undermined the nation’s potential for sustainable economic growth, particularly in the agricultural and forestry sectors.
Galamsey’s impact on one of Ghana’s most vital cash crops—cocoa—has been particularly devastating. Cocoa farming, along with palm oil production, is the backbone of many rural households in the country.
However, galamsey has forced many farmers to abandon their farmlands due to coercion or sheer frustration over the lack of action from authorities.
The GAWU statement warned that the damage to cocoa farms is unprecedented, with entire farmlands destroyed, resulting in unfavorable micro-climatic conditions for cocoa cultivation.
The decline in cocoa and palm oil production is a significant blow to Ghana’s economy, as the nation is a leading exporter of these products.
The GAWU is calling for a united front to tackle the galamsey menace. The union criticized the lack of effective intervention by state authorities and urged for stronger policies and enforcement to protect agricultural lands.
The statement stressed that urgent steps are needed to safeguard Ghana’s food security, protect biodiversity, and secure the livelihoods of millions of farmers who depend on the land for survival.
As GAWU’s statement emphasizes, the threat posed by galamsey is not just an environmental or agricultural issue—it is a national crisis.
If left unchecked, it will have long-term consequences on food security, economic growth, and the overall well-being of the country.
The union’s rallying cry—”United We Till for Progress”—serves as a reminder that the fight against illegal mining requires collective action and immediate intervention from both government authorities and citizens alike.
Ghana stands at a critical crossroads, and the actions taken now will determine the future of its agriculture, its environment, and its people.
Also find here the full press statement:
PRESS STATEMENT
AGRICULTURE ON ITS KNEES! BY THE GENERAL AGRICULTURAL WORKERS UNION (GAWU) OF TUC-GHANA ON GALAMSEY
FOOD SECURITY has become one of the scariest looming pandemics in Ghana. This has been necessitated by several challenges including the galamsey menace of which agriculture is the most affected sector plaguing the nation with little to no efforts by the state apparatus.
Galamsey remains one of the major threats to agriculture, exposing the whole nation to challenges of scarcity and expensive food and crops with damning consequences of climate change, health implications for citizenry and our unborn children.
With over seven thousand four hundred and seventy (7,470) cluster categories of Galamsey in the country.
According to ResearchGate, galamsey has led to the destruction of farm lands, water bodies exposing several informal workers to job and income insecurities across the country.
Ghana has lost about 2.5 million hectares of forest reserve to illegal and uncontrolled mining. This is a huge threat to biodiversity.
Galamsey remains an extremely dangerous and treacherous type of illegal mining activity which has forced several farmers to give up their farm lands either through coercive means or out of frustration of no hope in our systems and structures put in place to fight it. The negative effect of illegal and uncontrolled mining on Cocoa is unprecedented.
The environmental impact of galamsey has far-reaching consequences on ecosystems, biodiversity, and natural resources.
The vegetation is stripped away along with the topsoil, leading to crop loss and unfavourable micro- climatic conditions for cocoa cultivation.
This degradation of natural resources undermines the potential for sustainable economic growth, particularly in sectors dependent on a healthy environment, such as agriculture and forestry.
In almost every rural household in Ghana, cocoa or oil palm are the most common cash crop cultivated. However, today, Ghana’s place in producing Cocoa and oil palm is disappointing not feed the country and for export have to also deal with challenges related to irrigation as water bodies remain polluted and unsafe if exposed to crops.
The prevalence of illegal mining activities in Ghana has undermined investor and market confidence in the agriculture sector.
This trend has also affected the oil palm and rubber sub sectors resulting in low prices in the international market and Ghana losing out on foreign direct investments which plays a crucial role in driving economic growth.
In addition, Ghana loses about USD 2.3 billion annually to illegal and uncontrolled mining through gold smuggling and over USD 2 billion through lost of cocoa farms.
Galamsey not only affect our economy through the declining production and activities in the agricultural sector but also poses several health and safety hazards and risks to Ghanaian citizens as our farms are exposed to all the chemicals used in polluting our water bodies.
These threats may affect women’s fertility and their unborn children as well as babies for lactating mothers.
As the country clamor to create more jobs for the youth and with the several policy interventions put in place to boost agriculture in Ghana like Planting for food and jobs, youth in agriculture amongst others, we risk making the sector redundant and unattractive if farmers and plantations have to risk land grabbing and forceful removal from their lands.
Looking on without action from government means Ghana risking an increase in unemployment rate, health and safety challenges for citizens and communities, food insecurity and loss of livelihoods for many vulnerable groups and individuals.
As an Agricultural Union operating within the sector most affected by Galamsey activities, the General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) as a matter of urgency joins Organized Labour and that of other Civil Society Organizations to call on government to declare a state of emergency to salvage the whole country from the galamsey menace and demand immediate action from government as follows;
1. The President of the Republic to act to salvage the remains of our lands, air, water bodies and HUMAN LIVES without further delay.
2. Government to prioritize the reclamation of destroyed lands and the restoration of polluted water bodies.
3. The immediate revocation of LI 2462.
4. Arrest and prosecute persons/groups destroying cocoa farms and oil palm plantations and other agricultural lands for purposes of galamsey
5. Government to support and invest in alternative livelihood that provide sustainable employment opportunities for these individuals, particularly in agriculture.
We call on all agricultural establishments and Civil Society Organizations in the agricultural value chain to join in the fight against this menace.
Signed
Comrade Andrews Addoquaye Tagoe
GENERAL SECREATARY (GAWU) of TUC-GHANA
#Stop galamsey, rescue our agricultural lands/water bodies, prosecute perpetuators#
Dated: Monday, 15th September, 2024
