Periurban Irrigated Agriculture and Health Risks in Ghana

 In Africa, more than one-third of the population already lives in cities,
and over the next 25 years, the rapid urbanisation of Africa could lead to
decreasing food security in the cities. In Ghana, the urban population is
growing at an estimated annual rate of 4.1% compared with the overall
population growth of 3%. Among major urban problems are those related to
unemployment and under-employment, as well as high food prices especially
due to the high costs of marketing food products. The growing
demand for fresh and perishable agricultural produce in the major cities is
driving the development of (peri)urban agriculture. This demand is not seasonal,
necessitating year-round production, heavily dependent on irrigation.