AbstractIn Ghana, urban sanitation infrastructure is poor and only a small portion of the (primarily domestic) wastewater is collected for treatment. The bulk ends up in drains and nearby water bodies and is used by urban and peri-urban vegetable farmers for irrigation. Open-space urban and peri-urban vegetable farming is market-oriented and depends on water availability. It not only supports the livelihoods of many farmers and traders but also contributes significantly to the supply of perishable vegetables to cities. However, high contamination levels, especially pathogens, have been recorded in most irrigation water sources as well as on irrigated vegetables. Because wastewater irrigation is illegal, farmers are periodically expelled from their plots. As any significant improvement of the urban sanitation infrastructure is financially constrained, research into strategies for safe wastewater use that considers both health risks and farmers' livelihoods is in progress. The aim is to contribute to the sustainability of urban vegetable production systems and their benefits in West Africa.