Vegetable producers around the Accra metropolis use all forms of chemicals and pesticides including those banned on the global scene to produce fresh vegetable for domestic and export markets. This project was a planning grant to investigate into the nature of the problems - types of agro-chemicals used, volume/year, levels of chemical residues in the soil, water, food and levels of poisoning and risks of run-off; explore the possibilities of introducing integrated pest management systems and to formualte a project proposal.

The preliminary investigations revealed that most of the farmers in Weija, Tuba, Bortianor, Krokobite and Ashiaman use some of the banned chemicals and pesticides in the production of fresh vegetable for the domestic and export markets. Little is being done to enforce the laws relating to the use of banned chemcials. This has serious health implications on the farmers themselves, children living around the areas, and vegetable consumers in general.

A project proposal has been formulated to seek funding to create awrareness in the use of banned chemicals, assist vegetable farmers adopt integrated pest management strategies in vegetable production and also introducing a vegetable tracking system to distinguish vegetables produced from orgnaic sources.