A recent ban on fresh tomato exports by neighbouring Burkina Faso has sparked a fierce call to action from environmental sustainability advocate, Nana Dwomoh Sarpong, who says the development lays bare Ghana’s agricultural vulnerability and what he describes as a “national shame” of dependency.
Nana Sarpong, President of Friends of Rivers and Water Bodies, is urging the government to immediately prioritise the construction of small-scale irrigation dams, especially in the northern regions, as a critical step toward protecting the country from recurring food supply disruptions.
Speaking in an interview, he proposed the adoption of sand bank dams tailored for drip irrigation, a technology he noted was originally pioneered in Ghana during General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong’s ‘Operation Feed Yourself’ era.
According to him, Burkina Faso later adopted the same model and has since leveraged it to achieve significant agricultural gains. “We cannot depend on imports to feed our people,” Nana Sarpong stated emphatically.
Wake-up call
He argued that the sudden halt in tomato supplies from the neighbouring country should serve as a wake-up call for Ghana to pursue self-sufficiency.
Replicating the small‑dam model, he said it would provide a reliable water source for all year‑round farming in the north and help curb the seasonal volatility that currently hampers production.
Imported seeds under fire
Beyond irrigation, Nana Sarpong launched a sharp critique at the country’s growing reliance on imported seeds.
He described the trend as a threat to long‑term agricultural independence, warning that it contradicts the industrialisation vision of the First Republic.
“It would be disastrous for the country to accelerate toward becoming a net‑importing country for seeds,” he cautioned, noting that the ballooning import bill for agricultural inputs undermines efforts to build a resilient local food system.
Revitalise research institutions
To reverse what he termed an unsustainable dependency, Nana Sarpong called for a revitalisation of the nation’s research institutions.
He insisted that scientists must be empowered to develop high‑yield, resilient, and locally adapted seed varieties rather than relying on foreign alternatives.
“Let’s use our research institutions to develop the best seeds, not foreign imported seeds that add to our over‑importing, which is unsustainable,” he urged.
Extractive industries & water security
In a broader critique of national resource management, the environmental advocate also raised concerns about the trade‑offs between extractive industries and water security.
He cautioned against policies that prioritise mining over sustainable agriculture, pointing to the irony of destroying vital water bodies for gold extraction.
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