Urban vegetable farming in Ghana: assessing the health risks from objective and subjective lenses

Abstract

Urban vegetable farming remains a potential public health threat in many underdeveloped countries where wastewater is predominantly used. This paper assesses health risks associated with the use of contaminated water for vegetable farming from an objective and farmers' subjective lenses. Samples of water and vegetables taken from vegetable farming communities in Kumasi were tested for microbial contamination using the most probable number (MPN) method. Besides, health risk perceptions of farmers were assessed using thematic analytical framework. Results show high contamination levels of total coliform, Escherichia coli and Enterococci aerogenes bacteria in both water and vegetable samples, far above the World Health Organisation standards and the benchmark set by the International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Food. While objective laboratory results show that both the irrigation water and the vegetables produced pose public health risks, farmers generally assessed these as safe. Strict supervision, enforcement of relevant by-laws and continuous public education by metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies are key in ensuring healthy vegetable production for the consuming public.