The UN Working Group on the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas urged Ghana on Thursday to ensure that the rights of small-holder farmers, artisanal fishermen, and pastoralists are fully considered during the implementation of its planned agricultural transformation, in line with the principles of the UN Declaration of the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas (UNDROP).
The working group stated that although Ghana has had a robust human rights framework regarding these sectors through the adoption of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act 2025, the Social Protection Act 2025, and the International Labour Organisation’s Work in Fishing Convention, a “persistent gap” remains between the laws and their practical application on the ground. The experts noted that pastoralists, artisanal fishermen and small-holder farmers continue to experience poverty and exclusion, despite constituting the backbone of food production in Ghana. According to the working group, these activities face both socio-economic and environmental challenges that threaten their livelihoods and ultimately the population’s food security.
The UN group explained that the ongoing promotion of mechanised and export-oriented agriculture risks entrenching a dual food system that prioritizes the interests of large-scale commercial agriculture while marginalizing the family-based agrarian sector.
These risks have already begun to materialize, as small-holder farmers are increasingly struggling to use and save traditional seeds due to recent biotechnology-focused seed reforms and market shifts that encourage commercial and breeder-controlled varieties over farmer-managed seed systems. Small farmers also faced land tenure insecurity due to the country’s dual tenure system that exposes them to sudden dispossession with limited legal recourse. In addition, small-holder farmers, alongside artisanal fishermen, face a credit gap, as their inability to provide conventional collateral prevents them from obtaining investment.
Additionally, artisanal fishermen faced mounting pressure from rapidly declining fish stocks due to overfishing, while pastoralists experienced exclusion because their nomadic way of life is not accommodated in a governance framework that was designed for settled tenure. They also faced conflicts with settled farmers due to their restricted access to grazing lands and water sources.
Furthermore, the working group highlighted that Ghana is struggling with illegal gold mining, known as galamsey, which poses a serious threat to environmental safety and exacerbates peasants’ situation. It explained that this activity, sustained by powerful interests, leads to river contamination, farmland destruction, and the spread of heavy-metal pollution far beyond mining sites, which makes it not only an environmental emergency but also a matter of public health and national food security.
The working group emphasized that, for Ghana to realize the full potential of its agricultural reform, it needs to build the implementation of its policy around prioritizing the needs of local communities responsible for food production, rather than serving entrenched interests.
Ghana has been driving an agricultural reform that comprises three key initiatives, aiming to achieve food self-sufficiency, boost agro-industrialization, and promote investment in agricultural infrastructure. The UN group’s statement concludes a ten-day visit to Ghana; it will present a report on the full visit to the UN Human Rights Council in September 2026.
