Professor Francis Atsu, an expert in Sustainable Food Systems and Supply Chains, has issued a firm caution against the use of synthetic chemicals in agriculture, citing a multitude of adverse impacts on both the environment and human health.

Speaking at the Graphic Business and Stanbic Bank Breakfast Meeting held in Accra on Tuesday, May 6, Professor Atsu emphasised that the continued reliance on synthetic inputs in farming practices is unsustainable and poses long-term risks to food security and ecosystem integrity.

"Stop the idea of these synthetic chemicals, it will not help you. thinking that my land is no longer fertile and I am going to pump in fertilisers and other chemicals to boost fertility, you know what? Some of these chemicals have a life of about five years residual in the land, you apply fertiliser today and it will take about five years for that residual to wipe off," he said.

Outlining the dangers associated with chemical-based agriculture, Professor Atsu noted that prolonged use of agrochemicals depletes soil fertility, contaminates water bodies, and disrupts natural pollination processes.

He also warned of the rising health concerns linked to chemical residues in food, including potential links to chronic illnesses and hormone disruption in humans.

The breakfast meeting, a collaborative platform hosted by Graphic Business and Stanbic Bank, brought together stakeholders from the agricultural, financial, and policy sectors to discuss innovative approaches to food production in Ghana’s rapidly changing climate.

The event was held on the theme "Future of food, the critical place of sustainable practices"