You Can’t Feed a Nation on Poisoned Soil: Government’s Galamsey Failure Dooms the Feed Ghana Programme.

The government’s much-touted Feed Ghana Programme is dead on arrival if the galamsey menace is not crushed with decisive force. How can a nation dream of feeding itself when the very lands meant for farming are being destroyed daily by illegal miners under the watch of the same government that claims to care about food security? Farming is not done in space. Farmers cannot plant crops on poisoned soils and polluted rivers. Yet, that is the harsh reality across vast farmlands in Ghana today.

The hypocrisy is galling. On one hand, the government trumpets its commitment to feeding the people. On the other hand, it turns a blind eye as galamsey operators ravage forests, pollute water bodies, and leave once-fertile lands barren. Reports already show that dangerous chemicals like lead, cyanide, and mercury—all by-products of illegal mining have been found in tomatoes, garden eggs, and other foodstuffs. Is this what “feeding Ghana” means—poisoning citizens slowly with toxic produce?

If the government truly wants the Feed Ghana Programme to survive, then there must be enough political will to end galamsey. Illegal mining is a serious canker that endangers the health of every Ghanaian. Yes, the gold diggers get richer, and the government benefits indirectly from foreign income generated through their activities. But at what cost? We cannot continue to pay the price when the entire country begins to suffer the devastating consequences of poisoned rivers, barren lands, and contaminated food.

The bitter truth is this: no agricultural programme will succeed in a hostile environment dominated by galamsey. The government has failed time and again to deal with this cancer, and as long as illegal mining thrives, all the billions poured into agricultural initiatives will be nothing but money wasted.

We have seen it before. Youth in Agriculture, Planting for Food and Jobs, etc. were grand ideas that collapsed under poor planning, weak enforcement, and political lip service. Are we ready to bury Feed Ghana in the same graveyard of failed initiatives?

Instead of turning a blind eye, the government must recognise that the Feed Ghana Programme itself can serve as an alternative to galamsey. After all, the youth are driven into illegal mining largely because of unemployment. By investing in agriculture as a viable and sustainable livelihood, the government can redirect youthful energy from destructive gold pits into productive farmlands that will feed the nation and preserve its environment.

Let us be blunt: if galamsey is not defeated, there will be no land to farm, no water to irrigate, and no safe food to eat. Feed Ghana will become Poison Ghana. The government must wake up. You cannot feed a nation on poisoned soil.