Ghana Risks Losing 35,000 Hectares of Arable Land by 2027 — Lands Minister Warns
Ghana could lose an additional 35,000 hectares of its remaining arable land by 2027 if urgent measures are not taken to address illegal mining, illegal logging, unsustainable exploitation of natural resources, environmental pollution, and the effects of climate change.
Figures from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources indicate that between 2020 and 2024, a total of 89,998 hectares of land were irreversibly degraded, representing about 5.14 per cent of the country’s total land area.
Speaking on the issue, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Emmanuel Armah Buah, warned that if the current trend persists, Ghana risks losing up to 12.7 per cent of its agricultural land base. This, he noted, could result in a 25 to 30 per cent decline in food production over the next three years.
The Minister attributed the alarming situation partly to declining cocoa production, which has fallen from over one million tonnes in previous years to about 548,000 tonnes in the most recent season.
These remarks were delivered in a speech read on his behalf by his Special Assistant, Professor Jerry Kumah, a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Mines and Energy. Despite the challenges, the Minister noted that recent government interventions are beginning to yield positive outcomes.
He disclosed that enhanced support for the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), in collaboration with security agencies, has led to the successful reclamation of nine “red-zoned” forest reserves that had previously been overrun by armed illegal miners. In addition, the government has rolled out the Tree for Life initiative, aimed at restoring degraded forest reserves and mined-out lands into ecologically functional landscapes.
According to Professor Kumah, the target for this year was to plant 30 million seedlings nationwide. As of the end of October, more than 26 million seedlings had already been planted, with efforts underway to achieve the full target by the close of the year.
He made these remarks at Akyawkrom in the Ejisu Municipality of the Ashanti Region during the graduation ceremony of the first cohort of the Certificate in Natural Resource Management Programme.
The ceremony marked the successful completion of an 18-month training programme by all 67 participants, who form the pioneer batch of graduates under the Natural Resource Management initiative.
