Nana Dwomoh Sarpong Calls For Drastic Agricultural Overhaul
Social and environmental advocate and farmer, Nana Dwomoh Sarpong, has called for a radical overhaul of Ghana’s agricultural sector, saying the country must urgently rethink how it produces food and manages its agricultural resources. He said Ghana could draw valuable lessons from countries that had successfully transformed their agricultural sectors through technology, irrigation, innovation,…
Nana Dwomoh Sarpong, a social and environmental advocate and farmer, has called for a significant transformation of Ghana's agricultural sector. He believes the country must rethink its food production methods and resource management. Drawing from successful countries, he recommends technology, irrigation, innovation, research, and investment in human capital.
Ghana could learn from Israel, which has developed a productive agricultural system despite limited land and water resources. Israel's experience shows how technology, efficient water management, irrigation, research, and innovation can overcome agricultural challenges.
Ghana has a history of agricultural cooperation with Israel, including early assistance from Israeli agricultural experts and Ghanaian farmers' training in Israel. Nana Sarpong suggests reviving and deepening such cooperation, particularly in areas like irrigation, greenhouse farming, agricultural research, water management, modern farming techniques, and farmer training.
However, he cautions against wholesale replication of the Israeli system and instead advocates for identifying and adapting effective practices to Ghana's conditions while investing in required infrastructure and expertise.
He stresses that a modern agricultural system should not only feed the population but also create jobs, protect the environment, and prepare the country for future economic and environmental challenges. Nana Sarpong expresses concern over land degradation due to illegal small-scale mining (galamsey), which threatens agricultural productivity. He urges stronger measures to protect farmlands and calls for irrigation to be a key part of Ghana's agricultural development strategy.
Nana Sarpong advocates for renewed focus on agricultural self-sufficiency, citing past initiatives like Operation Feed Yourself. He urges policymakers to examine successful agricultural development initiatives from the past and apply relevant lessons to current challenges. He believes empowering local farmers should be central to strengthening Ghana's food system, and that a modernized agriculture could generate jobs, improve rural livelihoods, promote responsible land management, and contribute to environmental protection. "We need to revolutionize our agriculture. The time is now," Nana Sarpong states.
Written by urgent.news from The Chronicle Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
