Farmers perception on excreta reuse for peri-urban agriculture in southern Ghana

Ghana lags behind the Millennium Development Goals’ target for sanitation, despite widespread effort by the central government. Most households in peri-urban communities in Ghana lack improved sanitation facilities, and access to faecal sludge disposal sites is also problematic. This study investigates farmers’ attitude and perception toward excreta reuse for peri-urban agriculture in Shai-Osudoku district, Ghana. Data were collected on 400 randomly selected respondents using questionnaires and focus group discussions. The study found that a majority of the respondents ‘disagree’ that excreta are a waste and are willing to use excreta as fertilizer, although a majority ‘agrees’ that excreta can pose health risks. Perceptions toward excreta reuse for agricultural purpose however differ among households. There is the need for more open discussions on the benefits and risks of excreta reuse in agriculture; this could help enrich farmers’ knowledge on the appropriate use of excreta as fertilizer. Further research on the factors that influence farmers’ decision to use excreta as fertilizer and their perceptions on the health risks is recommended.   Key words: Sanitation, excreta reuse, farmers’ perception, peri-urban agriculture, Ghana.