Abuakwa South MP, Dr Kingsley Agyemang, is using the parliamentary recess to promote farming as a viable and sustainable alternative to illegal mining, known locally as galamsey, which has long scarred his constituency.
Rejecting the environmental destruction caused by galamsey, Dr Agyemang has been working alongside farmers across his constituency, not only on his large-scale farms but also in the fields of constituents.
His aim, he says, is to demonstrate to young people that agriculture offers a more secure and enduring livelihood than the fleeting gains of illegal mining. "I am an MP who has spoken heavily against the galamsey menace, especially in my constituency," he said. "I believe many young people engage in it because they lack alternative sources of income.
Farming can be a strong tool for advocacy to show them there is a better path." Abuakwa South has suffered the long-term effects of illegal mining, including abandoned pits and polluted water sources.
