Five-day conference on reforestation and food preservation opens at Sunyani

Sunyani, (Brong Ahafo) 21 July '99,

A five-day conference at which participants would discuss indigenous knowledge in reforestation, organic farming and traditional methods of food preservation began in Sunyani on Tuesday.

More than 40 farmers, agriculturists, representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the crop unit of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, and foresters are attending the workshop.

The conference will give the participants the opportunity to discuss and assess the roles of indigenous knowledge in reforestation and organic farming. It is being sponsored by the World Bank in collaboration with Environmental

Protection Association of Ghana (EPAG).

Opening it, the Brong Ahafo regional minister, Mr Donald Adabre called on farmers to "re-examine some of the old indigenous practices that enabled our ancestors to preserve the environment and refine it for posterity"..

Mr Adabre expressed the hope that NGOs in the country would use their expertise to make a more positive impact on Ghana's environment and in the development process.

The Regional Minister said that problems of ecological degradation, deforestation, soil erosion and the use of harmful agro chemicals, are being studied by specialists for solutions.

Mr Adabre encouraged farmers to use organic instead of inorganic methods, which is dangerous the health of consumers.

The project manager of EPAG, Mr John Kwaku Owusu said that an estimated 1.2 million cubic metres of timber is taken from the forest and this had contributed to the fast degradation of the environment.

He said about 115,000 hectares of land in the Brong Ahafo and Ashanti regions have been degraded over the year and called for sustainable measures to halt the continuous abuse of land.

GRi