Policy Brief
There has been an alarming increase in the use of synthetic chemicals of all types in farming (from land preparation to consumption) in Ghana and other parts of Africa. Volumes of agricultural chemical residues have been found in soil, water, air, agricultural products, human blood and adipose tissues in many places across the world. Pesticide contamination cause a lot of harm to non-target organisms ranging from beneficial soil microorganisms to insects, plants, fish, and birds and are thus very unfriendly to the environment. Government policies, promotional activities of NGOs and agrochemical companies, and the overemphasis on crop yield are major drivers of the rapid increase in the use of synthetic chemicals..