Peasant farmers are warning that Ghana's annual food import bill of over $3.5 billion could rise if the government does not get harder on illegal mining.
Their concerns follow a new study by Pure Earth and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which revealed widespread contamination by mercury, arsenic, lead, and other heavy metals in artisanal and small-scale gold mining areas. The findings pose significant risks to food security and public health.
The Executive Director of the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana, Bismark Nortey, in an interview with Citi Business News, cautioned that the country's food import bill will go up even further if lands and water bodies are not preserved.
I urge all the government ministries and agencies responsible to take this report as a guide and protect our farmers. If the trend continues and farmers are forced to halt production, the impact on our nation will be catastrophic
The large amount that we already bemoan spending on food imports has the potential to worsen if nothing is done—especially with Ghanaian consumers increasingly skeptical about the safety of Ghanaian-made food," he continued.
The one-year study, Mercury and Other Heavy Metals Impact Assessment, conducted between August 2024 and September 2025 by Pure Earth in collaboration with the Ghana Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), sampled soil, water, air, fish, and food crops in six regions: Ashanti, Eastern, Central, Western, Western North, and Savannah.
Mercury Pollution Off the Charts
At Konongo Zongo (Ashanti Region), soil mercury reached a high of 1,342 ppm, over 130 times above the safe level. Air mercury at Wassa Kayianko (Western Region) had a high of 150 μg/m³, 150 times Ghana's acceptable limit.
Arsenic Contamination Widespread
Toxic levels of arsenic were found in nearly every location. Soil from Konongo Zongo contained 10,060 ppm, 4000% above safe levels, and water from Konongo Odumase contained 3.3 mg/L, well above drinking water standards.
Lead in Food and Fish
Lead in fish in Akwaboso (Central Region) and Konongo Zongo surpassed WHO safety standards, with some samples measuring a maximum of 2.8 mg/kg. Vegetables such as pumpkin leaves in the Western North also measured lead content up to 3.1 mg/kg.
Crops Contaminated Across Regions
Mercury, arsenic, and lead were detected in kontomire, tomatoes, cereals, legumes, and tubers, with some of the levels far above international food safety standards.
Water Sources Polluted
A few of the boreholes and streams providing drinking water were contaminated, with arsenic and lead concentrations above WHO guidelines, posing a direct risk to the health of the populations.
Public Health at Risk
The study warns that residents, especially in mining communities, are exposed chronically to more than one route — inhalation, ingestion, and dermal contact — with probable long-term effects on the nervous system, kidneys, and children's development.
Recommendations
The authors recommend direct multi-sectoral action with remediation pilots in hotspots like Konongo Zongo via low-cost technologies such as phytoremediation.