The union said if the country was serious about realising the full potential of programmes and policies geared towards feeding Ghana, such as the Planting for Food and Job, as well as producing raw materials to feed our industries, then galamsey must be stopped.

“After all, it is an illegal activity and we must stop it because it destroys the ecology permanently,” the General Secretary of the General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU), under the Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC), Mr Edward Kareweh, said in an interview with the GRAPHIC BUSINESS on March 16, after a meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) of GAWU) at Bunso Cocoa College in the Eastern Region.

Mr Kareweh said galamsey affected agricultural productivity and threatened food security in Ghana because it resulted in declining the land mass and caused low soil fertility.

He described as unfortunate foreigners participation in galamsey activities, saying “are we a failed state that we cannot enforce our own laws? That particular area has been heavily patronised by foreigners who have either entered into our country illegally or who have also engaged in illegal business and are perpetuating illegality to the highest level,” he said.

Effects of galamsey

Illegal mining practices destroy the soil because it is structured in such a way that it does not allow fauna and flora to exist. 

The haphazard nature of galamsey ravages the forest, and any other living organism in its way is destroyed.

Mr Kareweh dismissed assertions that galamsey provided jobs, saying that it rather provides death traps.

“Once you enter galamsey, you have set yourself to destruction, first for the workers there because of the deplorable conditions under which they work. It isn’t a job that one would like to be proud of, so it’s not a job area that we can factor into our economic indicators,” he said. 

He added that the notion that galamsey was a source of livelihood was wrong.

“It’s dangerous, they are buried in the pit and is that the type of livelihood we are talking about? In fact, it is sure way of destroying livelihoods,” he said.

All marine life is affected due to the fact that galamsey pollutes the water, especially when chemicals are added.

Agric and Sustainable Development Goals 

Experts say that agriculture is important to the attainment of the global goals of poverty reduction, as stated in United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 2) which seeks to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition based on sustainable agriculture.

Therefore, a reduction in agricultural land base due to competition from activities such as galamsey will result in low agricultural production.