PN38 - Safer Peri-urban Vegetable Production
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Item On-farm practices for the safe use of wastewater in urban and peri-urban horticulture(Book, 2012) Keraita, Bernard N.; Akatse, James; Kinane, Modeste; Osei, Collins K.; Mateo-Sagasta, Javier; Beernaerts, Ines; Koo-Oshima, Sasha; Youdeowei, Anthony; Fredrix, Marjon; Neate, Paul J.H.; Graft- Johnson, K.G. de; Mander, Paolo; Morgan, JamesThe drafting of this handbook was initiated in October 2007, in Ghana, by Ines Beernaerts, in the framework of the FAOKNUST project on “Evaluation of non-treatment options for maximizing public health benefits of WHO guidelines governing the use of wastewater in urban vegetable production in Ghana”. The Farmer Field School (FFS) approach was introduced in the FAO-KNUST project and materialized in this handbook to enhance the experimental learning of the (peri-) urban farmers. The best practices described in this handbook were designed and field-tested in a project funded by the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF) under the coordination of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). This initiative was taken to enable the project to go beyond research and ensure the sustainability of the results.Item Helminth contamination of lettuce and associated risk factors at production sites, markets and street food vendor points in urban and peri-urban Kumasi, Ghana(Journal Article, 2012-05-20) Andoh, L.A.; Abaidoo, Robert C.; Obiri-Danso, K.; Drechsel, Pay; Konradsen, Flemming; Klank, L.T.Item Reducing health risks from wastewater use in urban and peri-urban sub-Saharan Africa: Applying the 2006 WHO guidelines(Journal Article, 2008-05-01) Drechsel, Pay; Keraita, Bernard N.; Amoah, Philip; Abaidoo, Robert C.; Raschid-Sally, Liqa; Bahri, AkissaWhere rapid urbanization is outpacing urban capacities to provide sound sanitation and wastewater treatment, most water sources in city vicinity are heavily polluted. This is of great concern as many of the leafy vegetables eaten raw in the cities are produced in these areas. Following the new WHO guidelines, different non-treatment options at farm, market, and kitchen level were field tested for health risk reduction with special consideration to efficiency and adoption potential. As most households are used to vegetable washing (although ineffectively), an important entry point for risk reduction is the increased emphasis of the new guidelines on food preparation measures. A combination of safer irrigation practices (water fetching, on-farm treatment, and application), the allocation of farmland with better water sources, and improved vegetable washing in kitchens appear to be able to reduce the potential risk of infections significantly, although it might not be possible to reach the ideal threshold without some kind of wastewater treatment. The on-farm trials carried out in Ghana also explored the limitation of other risk reduction measures, such as drip irrigation, crop restrictions and cessation of irrigation under local circumstances considering possible incentives for behaviour change.Item Reducing microbial contamination on wastewater-irrigated lettuce by cessation of irrigation before harvesting(Journal Article, 2007) Keraita, Bernard N.; Konradsen, Flemming; Drechsel, Pay; Abaidoo, Robert C.Objective To assess the effectiveness of cessation of irrigation before harvesting in reducing microbial contamination of lettuce irrigated with wastewater in urban vegetable farming in Ghana.Methods Assessment was done under actual field conditions with urban vegetable farmers in Ghana. Trials were arranged in completely randomized block design and done both in the dry and wet seasons. Seven hundred and twenty‐six lettuce samples and 36 water samples were analysed for thermotolerant coliforms and helminth eggs.Results On average, 0.65 log units for indicator thermotolerant coliforms and 0.4 helminth eggs per 100 g of lettuce were removed on each non‐irrigated day from lettuce in the dry season. This corresponded to a daily loss of 1.4 tonnes / ha of fresh weight of lettuce. As an input for exposure analysis to make risk estimates, the decay coefficient, k, for thermotolerant coliforms was 0.66 / day for the wet season and 1.49 / day for the dry season.Conclusion In combination with other measures for improving water quality, the measure can significantly reduce faecal contamination of lettuce during the dry season. However, it is not suitable for the wet season due to unfavourable conditions for pathogen die‐off and re‐contamination by splashes from contaminated soils. The results provide a good basis for risk assessments and for devising more appropriate measures for risk reduction, especially in sub‐Saharan Africa.Item Effect of low-cost irrigation methods on microbial contamination of lettuce irrigated with untreated wastewater(Journal Article, 2007) Keraita, Bernard N.; Konradsen, Flemming; Drechsel, Pay; Abaidoo, Robert C.Objective To assess the effectiveness of simple irrigation methods such as drip irrigation kits, furrow irrigation and use of watering cans in reducing contamination of lettuce irrigated with polluted water in urban farming in Ghana.Methods Trials on drip kits, furrow irrigation and watering cans were conducted with urban vegetable farmers. Trials were arranged in a completely randomised block design with each plot having all three irrigation methods tested. This was conducted in both dry and wet seasons. Three hundred and ninety‐six lettuce, 72 soil, 15 poultry manure and 32 water samples were analysed for thermotolerant coliforms and helminth eggs.Results Lettuce irrigated with drip kits had the lowest levels of contamination, with, on average, 4 log units per 100 g, fewer thermotolerant coliforms than that irrigated with watering cans. However, drip kits often got clogged, required lower crop densities and restricted other routine farm activities. Watering cans were the most popular method. Using watering cans with caps on outlets from a height <0.5 m reduced thermotolerant coliforms by 2.5 log units and helminthes by 2.3 eggs per 100 g of lettuce compared with using watering cans without caps from a height >1 m.Conclusion Simple, cheap and easily adoptable irrigation methods have great potential to reduce crop contamination in low‐income areas. When used in combination with other on‐farm and post‐harvest risk reduction measures, these will help to comprehensively reduce public health risks from using polluted water in vegetable farming.Item Low-cost measures for reducing health risks in wastewater-irrigated urban vegetable farming in Ghana(Thesis, 2008) Keraita, Bernard N.Item Resource use efficiency in vegetable production: The case of smallholder farmers in Kumasi metropolis(Thesis, 2006) Abdulai, A.Item Pesticide and pathogen contamination of vegetables in Ghana’s urban markets(Journal Article, 2006-01) Amoah, Philip; Drechsel, Pay; Abaidoo, Robert C.; Ntow, W.J.Item Wastewater irrigation and perceptions in urban and periurban Kumasi Ghana(Book Chapter, 2008) Gane, J.; Bakang, J.A.; Takyi, H.; Obiri-Danso, K.; Abaidoo, Robert C.Item Safeguarding public health concerns livelihoods and productivity in wastewater irrigated urban vegetable farming(Poster, 2008) CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and FoodItem Minimizing health risks and improving system productivity in irrigated urban and peri-urban vegetable farming for enhanced livelihoods(Conference Paper, 2005) Abaidoo, Robert C.; Drechsel, Pay; Amoah, Philip; Keriata, B.; Agyekum, W.; Titiati, A.Item Irrigated urban vegetable production in Ghana: Microbiological contamination in farms and markets and associated consumer risk groups(Journal Article, 2007-09-01) Amoah, Philip; Drechsel, Pay; Abaidoo, Robert C.; Henseler, M.Ghana is a typical low-income sub-Saharan African country facing significant sanitation challenges. In Ghana, fresh salads are not part of the normal diet, but have become a common supplement to urban fast food served in streets, canteens and restaurants. In Accra, about 200 000 people consume from such supplements every day. The figure also describes the size of the risk group from contamination, which comprises all income classes including the poor and children. The purpose of this study was to investigate widespread water pollution in urban and peri-urban areas, where 95% of the lettuce consumed in the city is produced. Over 12 months (April 2004–June 2005), lettuce samples from the same production sites in two cities were followed and analyzed along the “farm to fork” pathway for total and faecal coliform (FC) and helminth egg numbers. Questionnaire surveys were conducted among producers, sellers and consumers to quantify lettuce flows to the final risk group. The study identified the farm as the main point of lettuce contamination. Besides the irrigation water, contamination was also attributed to manure application and already contaminated soil. Despite poor sanitary conditions in markets, post-harvest handling and marketing did not further increase the farm-gate contamination levels. To reduce the health risk associated with the consumption of contaminated lettuce; safer farming and irrigation practices are required while the remaining risk could best be addressed where lettuce is prepared for consumption.Item Irrigated urban vegetable production in Ghana: Sources of pathogen contamination and health risk elimination(Journal Article, 2005-07) Amoah, Philip; Drechsel, Pay; Abaidoo, Robert C.Item Safeguarding public health concerns, livelihoods and productivity in wastewater irrigated urban and periurban vegetable farming(Report, 2009-11-15) Abaidoo, Robert C.; Keraita, Bernard N.; Amoah, Philip; Drechsel, Pay; Bakang, J.A.; Kranjac-Berisavljevic, Gordana; Konradsen, Flemming; Agyekum, W.; Klutse, A.The goal of the project was to develop integrated and user-oriented strategies to safeguard public health concerns without compromising livelihoods and land and water productivity in wastewater irrigated urban and peri-urban vegetable farming. In this project, assessment of land and water productivity in wastewater irrigated farming was done, levels of contamination on irrigation water and vegetables quantified at different levels along the food chain (farms, markets and consumer level) and appropriate lowcost risk reduction strategies identified and participatory testing done with stakeholders at farm and consumer levels. A large number of students were involved in the project, significantly building human capacity