In the heart of the Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem (KEEA) Municipality, a farmer, Egya Edu, is raising a crucial alarm — the way charcoal is produced today is harming both people and the planet.
For years, local producers have relied on traditional methods that involve cutting trees, stacking them under sand, and setting them on fire. This process, Egya Edu explains, generates thick smoke that endangers the health of those who depend on charcoal for their livelihood.
“The smoke affects our breathing and eyes, but we have no other way to produce,” Egya Edu lamented. “We need better technology to make charcoal without destroying trees or harming ourselves.”
Charcoal remains a vital household and commercial fuel across Ghana. Beyond cooking, it is also valued for its medicinal uses, including emergency detoxification of poisons and as an ingredient in various products. Yet, its production continues to take a heavy environmental toll, contributing to deforestation and air pollution.
Egya Edu’s appeal is more than personal — it’s a call to action. He urges the Forestry Commission, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), research institutions, and environmental NGOs to introduce sustainable, low-smoke technologies that can transform Ghana’s charcoal industry.
Cleaner charcoal production methods — such as improved kilns, briquette production, and community-based reforestation programs — have already shown success in other parts of Africa. Ghana’s producers deserve access to these innovations too.
The question is clear:
How long can rural producers and the environment continue to pay the price for outdated methods when cleaner solutions already exist?
Egya Edu’s voice represents thousands of others whose livelihoods depend on charcoal. Supporting them with training, technology, and green investment isn’t just an environmental duty — it’s a matter of health, dignity, and sustainable development.
