34
impacts. Conventional agricultural practices, including the use of heavy machinery,
prolific synthetic fertilizer application, and lack of soil organic matter practices,
exacerbate climate change effects. Compost program development and finished
compost product application could facilitate climate change mitigation and resiliency measures.
Ghana is diverse geographically and ecologically. Much of the larger flora has
been cleared for agricultural or construction purposes and has largely not been
revegetated. Agricultural crops, including cocoa, yams, grains, timber, nuts, and
palm oil, constitute the base of agriculture of Ghana’s economy. In 2013, agriculture
employed approximately half of the total labor force in Ghana (Agriculture in
Ghana: Facts and Figures 2011). A Danish government National Climate Change
Adaptation Strategy (2016) reports that while many governments are taking initiative to reduce the effects of climate change, the extreme challenges faced by the
more highly vulnerable populations are largely not being addressed (CC DARE
2016). The report cites the need for governments to be more proactive in their resiliency strategies rather than reactive, citing the former as far less costly.
With the growing Ghanaian population and continued food and environmental
insecurities and pressures, soil health and soil health resiliency strategies in relation
to crop productivity are paramount. Remediating and cultivating healthy soil systems begin with the renewal and regeneration of soil biomass, and the utilization of
locally sourced organic materials. This begins with available organic waste materials assessment and identification. However, according to one article, reliable
national data on waste generation that will guide effective waste management, policy, and sustainable practices is “absent” in Ghana (Miezah et al. 2015). The research
comprised a national analysis of the rate of waste generated, physical composition
of the waste, and the sorting and separation efficiency of the waste. The results
showed that as of year 2015, the rate of waste generated in Ghana was approximately 0.47 kg/person/day, equating to 12,710 tons of waste per day per the current
national population. Furthermore, the study identified a significantly larger percentage of the total waste as biodegradable - approximately 61% of the total waste
stream (Miezah et al. 2015). Identification and subsequent composting of locally
sourced carbon-based materials, initially human and animal manures that pose deleterious impacts to watersheds, warrant attention.
As of year 2014, in two of the largest Ghanaian cities, over 4000 tons of solid
waste was generated per day (Monney 2014). According to Monney, this is partly
due to an “erroneous perception about solid waste” and the Ghanaian people generally viewing waste as disposable, instead of a valued potential resource (Monney
2014). The article also cites other countries, such as the Philippines and Sweden,
“making money” out of solid waste. Monney (2014) cites the overall lack in waste
management and materials utilization infrastructure, emphasizing the need to focus
on “the control of generation, storage, collection, transfer and transport, processing,
and disposal of solid wastes in a manner that conforms to the best principles of
public health, economics, engineering, conservation, aesthetics, and other environmental considerations” (Monney 2014).
E. F. Creegan and R. Flynn
impacts. Conventional agricultural practices, including the use of heavy machinery,
prolific synthetic fertilizer application, and lack of soil organic matter practices,
exacerbate climate change effects. Compost program development and finished
compost product application could facilitate climate change mitigation and resiliency measures.
Ghana is diverse geographically and ecologically. Much of the larger flora has
been cleared for agricultural or construction purposes and has largely not been
revegetated. Agricultural crops, including cocoa, yams, grains, timber, nuts, and
palm oil, constitute the base of agriculture of Ghana’s economy. In 2013, agriculture
employed approximately half of the total labor force in Ghana (Agriculture in
Ghana: Facts and Figures 2011). A Danish government National Climate Change
Adaptation Strategy (2016) reports that while many governments are taking initiative to reduce the effects of climate change, the extreme challenges faced by the
more highly vulnerable populations are largely not being addressed (CC DARE
2016). The report cites the need for governments to be more proactive in their resiliency strategies rather than reactive, citing the former as far less costly.
With the growing Ghanaian population and continued food and environmental
insecurities and pressures, soil health and soil health resiliency strategies in relation
to crop productivity are paramount. Remediating and cultivating healthy soil systems begin with the renewal and regeneration of soil biomass, and the utilization of
locally sourced organic materials. This begins with available organic waste materials assessment and identification. However, according to one article, reliable
national data on waste generation that will guide effective waste management, policy, and sustainable practices is “absent” in Ghana (Miezah et al. 2015). The research
comprised a national analysis of the rate of waste generated, physical composition
of the waste, and the sorting and separation efficiency of the waste. The results
showed that as of year 2015, the rate of waste generated in Ghana was approximately 0.47 kg/person/day, equating to 12,710 tons of waste per day per the current
national population. Furthermore, the study identified a significantly larger percentage of the total waste as biodegradable - approximately 61% of the total waste
stream (Miezah et al. 2015). Identification and subsequent composting of locally
sourced carbon-based materials, initially human and animal manures that pose deleterious impacts to watersheds, warrant attention.
As of year 2014, in two of the largest Ghanaian cities, over 4000 tons of solid
waste was generated per day (Monney 2014). According to Monney, this is partly
due to an “erroneous perception about solid waste” and the Ghanaian people generally viewing waste as disposable, instead of a valued potential resource (Monney
2014). The article also cites other countries, such as the Philippines and Sweden,
“making money” out of solid waste. Monney (2014) cites the overall lack in waste
management and materials utilization infrastructure, emphasizing the need to focus
on “the control of generation, storage, collection, transfer and transport, processing,
and disposal of solid wastes in a manner that conforms to the best principles of
public health, economics, engineering, conservation, aesthetics, and other environmental considerations” (Monney 2014).
E. F. Creegan and R. Flynn