Assessment of the Effects of Illegal Small- Scale Mining on Cocoa Farming and Livelihood Birim North District

Abstract

The study examines how illegal small-scale mining has affected income generation of cocoa farmers, environment and land for cocoa farming and availability of labour for cocoa farming. Probability sampling was used to select four communities out of ten communities engaged in illegal mining. Purposive sampling and Simple random sampling were used to determine the sampling units and the target population of the study. The primary data for the study were sourced from site/farm visitation and questionnaires and interviews for selected cocoa farmers. A total of 120 respondents who were all farmers were randomly selected and structural questionnaires were administered to them in four selected communities namely, Noyem, Amenam, Nyafuman and Sakapiah. The data collected were subjected to descriptive analysis with the use of bar charts, pie charts and frequency distribution tables. Statistical software’s including SPSS and excel sheets were also used to produce graphs and frequency distribution tables with all the data pre-coded before the analysis. The study revealed that 70% of males and 30% of females are engaged in cocoa farming with an age class of 36 – 50, representing 57% as majority actively involved in cocoa farming. From the study, it was observed that 93% were not willing to release their cocoa farms for small scale mining operations with only 7% willing to do so. Effective and efficient collaboration and policies between the government and the fringe mining communities should be formulated to eradicate illegal small-scale mining activities. The Ghana Cocoa Board should increase the price of a cocoa bag to discourage farmers releasing their cocoa farms for illegal mining and also to drive energetic and exuberant youth into the cocoa industry.