The European Union (EU) Ambassador to Ghana, Rune Skinnebach, has warned that Ghana risks facing serious repercussions on its agricultural exports if illegal mining continues to pollute the environment and threaten the safety of export commodities.
Speaking on the EU’s priority areas for Ghana, the Ambassador emphasized the Union’s commitment to supporting issues that affect the majority of the population. He noted that the EU continues to work closely with the government through actionable, policy-driven interventions.
Ambassador Skinnebach described illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, as a complex crisis that requires urgent solutions. He cautioned that the resulting pollution of water bodies poses a significant threat to Ghana’s agricultural value chain, particularly cocoa and vegetable exports.
Cocoa remains Ghana’s largest agricultural export. In 2021 alone, the country produced 1,047,000 metric tonnes, amounting to GH¢3.1 billion in revenue and contributing roughly 10% of the country’s GDP. The cocoa sector is also the biggest employer within agriculture, supporting millions of livelihoods.
However, the Ambassador warned that contamination from heavy metals, often found in polluted water used for irrigation, could be transferred to crops, threatening their acceptability within EU markets.
“Galamsey is an extremely complex matter. The pollution is a major issue; it affects water bodies and, through them, vegetable production. If crops become polluted, this will affect the export of vegetables and cocoa. Europe, being Ghana’s largest export market, will have to protect its consumers, which could carry serious implications for Ghana’s exports. Ultimately, it affects Ghanaians the most,” he said.
This latest caution comes as the EU increasingly scrutinizes supply chains linked to deforestation and environmental degradation. EU researchers have previously warned that Ghana’s cocoa sector is vulnerable under the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which could restrict products linked to deforestation from entering the EU market as early as this year.
Ghana has experienced similar consequences before. In 2015, the EU banned Ghanaian vegetable exports over poor management of quarantine pests, costing the country about $15 million annually from commodities such as chili peppers, eggplants, and gourds. The ban was lifted and accompanied stringent measures, including steam treatment, enhanced inspection systems, export certification, and farmer training on pest surveillance.
Cocoa, in particular, remains at high risk of future import restrictions due to deforestation and heavy metal contamination originating from galamsey-polluted water bodies. In response, the EU has launched a €2 million Deforestation-Free Cocoa Project aimed at supporting 5,000 farmers and rehabilitating over 1,000 hectares of old plantations through agroforestry between 2025 and 2028.
Ambassador Skinnebach stressed that the EU remains committed to supporting Ghana’s pursuit of sustainable economic growth and improved governance
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