A study has posited that urban vegetable farming is largely unsafe as a result of over-reliance on contaminated wastewater, manure and pesticides.
Dr. Kabila Abass, a senior lecturer and urban geographer at the Department of Geography and Rural Development, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) conducted the study with Abdul Wahid Arimiyaw of the Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Côte d’Ivoire.
The study focused on urban vegetable farmers in Kumasi as a sample for a year to draw up this conclusion. According to the research, most farmers depend on polluted streams to irrigate their farms and manure as well as pesticides but they hold that their produce is safe for consumption.
Meanwhile, laboratory testing conducted during the research on some samples of irrigation water and vegetables showed contamination beyond the acceptable level for human consumption.
During the study, when the farmers were asked their opinion on the health risks associated with their practices, they refused to accept that the quality of water they used was bad and could potentially cause diseases such as diarrhea and cholera. This is what one of the farmers had to say;
“There are no contaminants or germs in the water. We have been using this water for a long time without any problem … Contaminated water can’t produce healthy crops like these ones.”
Nevertheless, the people who participated in the study all agreed that wastewater for vegetable irrigation could compromise the quality of the crops and affect human health however, they would irrigate their farms with contaminated water if need be.
“I have a wife and four children. My source of livelihood is this vegetable farming. This is all I do for a living. If dirty water is the only one available, I would have no option but to use it.”
Aside the use of contaminated water, the research found that pesticides and fertilizers were misapplied. Ideally, poultry droppings should be dried before they are applied to the vegetable beds as fertilizer. This was not always the case at the farms studied.
On the question of whether manures or fertilisers could have negative environmental and health effects, the farmers said years of experience has guided them in the application of manure or fertilizer. They also justified their practices by saying that they themselves did not experience health problems relating to contaminated vegetables and had never received any negative feedback from the public.
“We have been doing this for several years and no one has ever complained about any illness. I eat the vegetables myself; you just have to wash it to remove the contaminants. If our vegetables were unsafe, we would have been the first victims.”
The study further gave some recommendations if considered, could reduce the rate of farm malpractices. It first suggested legislative enforcement to ensure that farmers comply with food safety standards as it is key to protecting public health.
“The Environmental Health Department of Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture should intensify their monitoring operations to ensure that vegetable farming is carried out in a safe manner.”
It also stated that efforts are needed to make the public aware of the health risks of using contaminated water and the wrong use of pesticides and manures.
“This message could be conveyed through the mass media and agricultural extension services, targeting farmers, market sellers, food vendors and consumers.”
