Galamsey is eroding Ghana’s food security as farmers lose lands — GEM warns

Illegal mining activities are gradually undermining the agricultural foundation of farming communities in Ghana, with the Ghana Youth Environmental Movement (GEM) warning that the loss of farmlands could threaten long-term food security.

The GEM coordinator identified alternative livelihood opportunities such as mushroom farming, snail farming, beekeeping and regenerative agriculture as possible pathways for young people in mining communities.

National Coordinator of GEM, Glory Emmanuella Appiah, said the expansion of illegal mining has disrupted local food production and forced some residents to rely on markets for crops they previously cultivated themselves.