By Murtala Issah
A former Pro Vice Chancellor of the University for Development Studies (UDS) and renowned Agricultural Development & Food Systems Economist, Professor Saa Dittoh, has issued a strong caution to policymakers and agricultural stakeholders to stop viewing farming purely as a business, and start recognising it as a fundamental necessity for human survival.
Speaking at an engagement with Regional and District Directors of Agriculture at Buipe, Professor Dittoh, argued that the over-commercialisation of agriculture is introducing farming methods that destroy the very conditions of life the sector is meant to sustain.
“When we approach agriculture solely as a business, the primary goal becomes profit. That focus often leads to the introduction of methods that are detrimental to life,” he stated. “Yet, agriculture exists precisely to address life, to feed people, nurture health, and protect our environment.”
The meeting in Buipe was convened to examine agroecology as a more suitable and sustainable farming system, particularly for Northern Ghana and the nation at large. Funded by the European Union, the core agenda is to highlight how agroecology offers greater safety for humans, animals, and the ecosystem.
Professor Dittoh did not mince words regarding the widespread use of chemical inputs in modern agriculture. He explained that while the application of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides is largely profit-driven, the long-term consequences are alarmingly hazardous.
“Agrochemicals are largely about maximising profit. But their residue remains in our food, poisons our water bodies, degrades our soils, and harms human health,” he noted. “We are consuming poisons in the name of food, and that is a dangerous paradox.”
The economist stressed that current farming practices are undermining the nutritional quality of food, leading to rising cases of non-communicable diseases linked to chemical contamination.
Rather than promoting large-scale, chemical-dependent monocropping, Professor Dittoh called for a major policy shift towards supporting Ghana’s small-scale farmers, who produce the bulk of the nation’s food.
“We need to empower smallholder farmers with agroecological knowledge and resources. These farmers are the custodians of our food security. When you support them to farm without toxic chemicals, you are supporting the production of truly healthy food,” he said.
He urged the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) and development partners to redirect subsidies and training programmes away from synthetic inputs and towards organic alternatives, composting, natural pest control, and crop diversification.
Unlike conventional agriculture, which often relies on external chemical inputs, agroecology works with nature rather than against it.
Key principles of agroecology include, biodiversity, encouraging a variety of crops, animals, and beneficial insects on the same farm to create a balanced ecosystem.
The practice also promotes nutrient cycling, using compost, manure and crop rotation to maintain soil fertility instead of synthetic fertilisers.
Globally, agroecology has gained traction as a solution to climate change, biodiversity loss, and food insecurity.
In Ghana, proponents like Professor Dittoh argue that it aligns perfectly with the country’s quest for sustainable development, especially in vulnerable regions of Northern Ghana, where erratic rainfall and land degradation are pressing concerns.
