Ghana pays for the west's wastefulness
The recent fire at Accra's Kantamanto market has left thousands without an income, but the disaster also highlights a deeper issue: Ghana's dependence on imported secondhand clothing ('Dead white person's clothes' mount up as Ghana's Kantamanto market struggles to rebuild after fire, 24 February). This reliance on foreign surplus not only undermines local textile industries but also floods markets with low-quality garments, much of which ends up as waste.
For decades, fast fashion's excesses have been offloaded on to African economies, creating cycles where local businesses struggle to compete. As your article notes, millions of items from the market are discarded weekly, polluting land and waterways. Yet instead of supporting homegrown production, Ghana continues to absorb discarded goods from wealthier nations.
Rather than rebuilding Kantamanto to maintain the same dependency, this crisis should push for investment in local manufacturing, upcycling initiatives and trade policies that prioritise economic self-sufficiency. Ghana's future should not be built on the waste of others, but on the strength of its own industries.Miah RedmondEltham, London
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