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Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, Minister of Environment, Technology and Innovation, warned of dire consequences for health if farmers continued to apply chemicals indiscriminately on their farms .
"The increasing and uncontrolled application of chemical substances in agriculture in the country could in the future present the nation with diseases of epidemic proportions," he said.
He indicated that practices such as the application of formalin in the preservation of "koobi", the application of atrazine as a sweetener, lambda-cyhalothrin , known in Ghana as karate, as insecticides, the use of certain pesticides in the palm wine industry and the treatment of animals with growth hormones and antibiotics presented a sanitary disaster waiting for the explosion.
Biennial Congress
Professor Frimpong-Boateng spoke at the Ninth Biennial Convention of Subordiners of the Knights of St. John International (KSJI) and Auxiliary Ladies of the University of Ghana, Legon, yesterday.
The conference, on the theme: "Our environment, our heritage – The role of civil society (KSJI) in its preservation", responds to the call by Pope Francis to citizens to preserve the Common heritage of humanity.
The call challenges everyone to preserve and protect the environment, our common heritage.
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Destroy the environment
Professor Frimpong-Boateng stated that "our ancestors entrusted us with the environment in perfect condition and that we should manage it responsibly for the benefit of future generations".
"But the truth on the ground is that this generation is determined to destroy the environment and themselves," he said.
Corrective measures
About what his department was doing to address these concerns, he said his ministry was liaising with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) to educate farmers about the implications of the blind use of these chemicals.
He said that the use of chemicals on vegetables was necessary to prevent insects from destroying the crop, but stressed that farmers had to apply the right dosage at the right time.
Frimpong-Boateng said the situation was worse about three years ago, but that the use of more agricultural extension agents has drastically reduced the practice, although he admitted that 39, much remained to be done in this respect.
He cautioned traders who used formalin and those who melted plastic in oil to fry plantain chips so that the chips would have a bright look to give up these acts because agents were constantly monitoring the market to fish them.
He added that when the formalin issue was raised, a team visited all major markets to collect samples of "koobi". and sensitized traders to the implications of their activities, adding that six months later, after the formation of the team, the practice had stopped.
atrazine
He added that atrazine, the most widely used weed killer in the country and applied generously, especially by corn growers, had been deemed unsafe.
Professor Frimpong-Boateng recalled a scientific publication published in 2002 that "atrazine causes serious badual abnormalities in male frogs exposed to pesticide levels of 0.1 parts per billion".
"In the United States, the amount of authorized drinking water is three parts per billion, which is 30 times the level at which the abnormalities observed in male frogs were observed.
"Deformities included both ovaries and testes, as well as testes containing eggs, in addition to sperm," he said, adding that a study by atrazine manufacturers , a Swiss company, had revealed a 3.5-fold higher incidence of prostate cancer among workers in the company.
Karate
He added that karate, widely used by all the country's vegetable growers, could affect the nerves of the upper limbs of humans, possibly as a local toxic manifestation.
"A study on karate in pregnant and lactating goats conducted by the Center for Toxicological Assistance at the Institute of Biological Sciences in Sao Paulo, Brazil, showed that lambda-cyhalothrin is absorbed through the skin and eliminated by colostrum ( the first secretion of the bad after birth). in antibodies) and milk.
"The residues in the blood of the offspring before the ingestion of colostrum have shown a placental transfer of cyhalothrin," said Professor Frimpong-Boateng.
The protection of the environment
He concluded that the continued destruction of the environment was self-inflicted and called on all to play a role in bringing it to an end.
"When we destroy the environment, we destroy ourselves. We depend on nature for our critical needs, including medicines, food, air and water, and we show signs of ingratitude by destroying nature through activities such as deforestation, mining, air pollution and inadequate waste management, "he said.
The Minister, famed scientist and cardiothoracic surgeon, said that it was everyone's duty to take action to protect and preserve the environment by eliminating waste, especially plastics, responsibly, using water wisely and growing trees.
Professor Frimpong-Boateng thanked the knights for recognizing the crucial role played by the environment, not only to support the country's resource base for economic growth, job creation and the development, but, more importantly, to ensure "our very survival as a human being". .
In a message of goodwill, Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, Bishop John Bonaventure Kwofie, said that the Catholic Church had shown leadership in applying the message of Pope Francis.
Referring to the importance of the ecosystem for human survival, he said: "We must take seriously the different lives of the ecosystem that nature has given us. Our calling is to take good care of what God has created. "
Fraternal organization
Major General James B. Dbadah, Chairman of the KSJI Supreme Subordinate Commandery, who chaired the opening session of the three-day congress, presented the group's history and explained that it was 39, acted of a fraternal Catholic organization which sought in particular to:, promote fraternity and fellowship among the members.
He added that the society was also there to help members and their families when needed, as well as to promote social justice among all men.
Major-General Dbadah acknowledged the efforts of the government and various civil society organizations to address environmental issues, adding, "While we welcome these commendable efforts, we are nevertheless convinced that there is still a lot to do if the war continues. on the environment must be won. "
Major-General Peter Sangber-Dery was elected and installed as a worthy president of the Supreme Command subordinate in Ghana.
In this position, he becomes the trustee of the Supreme Command, headquartered in New York, United States.
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