The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) is warning that uncontrolled sand winning is fast emerging as a major threat to Ghana’s food security, cautioning that the practice is destroying productive farmland at a rate comparable to illegal mining.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Takoradi, PFAG President Wepia Addo Awal said the rising wave of sand extraction on agricultural lands is stripping farms of their topsoil, the most nutrient-rich layer essential for crop growth.
“When the topsoil is removed, the land becomes useless for cultivation. Smallholder farmers are losing their farms overnight, and this has direct consequences on national food supply,” he stressed.
Mr. Awal noted that while public attention has been heavily focused on galamsey, sand winning has quietly expanded, leaving behind barren fields, displacing farmers, and reducing the country’s overall production capacity.
He cautioned that if the practice is allowed to escalate unchecked, Ghana could face severe shortages in key staples, affecting both rural livelihoods and the broader economy.
The PFAG President urged government agencies—including the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, district assemblies, and regulators within the agricultural value chain—to treat the issue as a national emergency and strictly enforce land-use laws.
He said designated farming zones must be protected from sand extraction activities, adding that the Association is encouraging its members to promptly report any encroachment to local authorities for immediate intervention.
Mr. Awal warned that Ghana cannot afford a repeat of the devastation already caused by galamsey. “If we fail to act now, sand winning could wipe out more farmlands and plunge the country into a food crisis,” he said.
