Illegal Small Scale Mining (Galamsay) Awareness and Impact on Cocoa Production: A Case Study in Atiwa District of Ghana

Transcription

1 Intrnational Journal of Sociology and Social Anthropology (IJSSA), 1(1): 31-44, Dc Nw Dlhi Publishrs. All rights rsrvd Illgal Small Scal Mining (Galamsay) Awarnss and Impact on Cocoa Production: A Cas Study in Atiwa District of Ghana Dnnis Owusu Boatng*, Francis Nana Yaw Codjo and Johnson Ofori Tchnical Dpartmnt, Bunso Cocoa Collg, P. O. Box 2, Bunso, Eastrn Rgion, GHANA Abstract Th mining sctor is a vry important sgmnt of th xtractiv sctor but has on of th most srious and disastrous nvironmntal consquncs conflicting with th livlihood (cocoa farming) and survival of rsidnt communitis. Th study was conductd in th Atiwa district to assss farmr s awarnss of galamsay, its impact on cocoa production and livlihoods in th mining communitis and on th youth as wll. Snowball sampling tchniqus was usd. Data collctd was analysd with th Statistical Packag for Social Scintist (SPSS) softwar. Dscriptiv statistics tools wr usd for th data analysis and rsults prsntd in frquncis, prcntags and graphs. Th study rvald that farmrs in th communitis fac svral challngs from mining activitis such as watr pollution from xcssiv us of chmicals, air pollution and land dgradation from indiscriminat havy us of machins. Farmrs hav also obsrvd arly dropping of immatur pods, wilting, yllowing of lavs and low yild on cocoa farms closr to mind aras. Majority of th farmrs opind that thir ngagmnt in th galamsy activitis is as a rsult of unmploymnt; dsir to gt quick mony and th fact that cocoa farming is sn as a job or businss that dos not pay wll. Th study advocats for a lot of advrts on Tlvision and radio to crat awarnss on th dangrs that galamsy poss to th cocoa sctor which is th mainstay of th conomy and aggrssiv land rclamation campaign through th public privat partnrship (PPP) xtnsion systm. Kywords: Cocoa farmrs, illgal small scal mining (Galamsay), snowball sampling, SPSS and Atiwa district Ghana can b considrd a rlativ succss story in Africa. Six variabls ar citd-pac and stability, dmocracy and govrnanc, control of corruption, macroconomic managmnt, povrty rduction, and signs of an mrging social contract-to suggst th country s admirabl political and conomic progrss. Gold mining and cocoa ar th major sctors of th conomy for mor than a cntury now (Moss and Young, 2009). Th agricultural sctor (Cocoa Production) might b th most affctd by illgal small scal mining boom and bust cycl sinc cocoa is on of th top forign xchang for Ghana. Givn th high social rturn and pro-poor impact of invsting in agricultur, cocoa farming, gratr than vr attntion should b paid to support th provision of various public goods for agricultur, including fdr roads, rsarch, xtnsion srvics, watr and powr supplis, storag capacitis, irrigation for smallholdrs and safty standards (Moss and Young, 2009).

2 Boatng t al. Cocoa is a tr crop that provids livlihoods for millions of smallholdr farmrs in ovr 50 countris across Africa, Latin Amrica, th Caribban and Asia. It grows bst in humid, tropical zons locatd roughly 10 dgrs north and south of th quator (COCOBOD SCRA rport 2011). Cocoa Production Th cocoa tr Thobroma cacao grows only undr vry humid conditions. It nds a climat of humid, warm and prfrably constant tmpraturs btwn 25 o C nvr ovr 35 C. Sufficint rainfall is ssntial. Soil rquirmnts must b humid and rich in nutrints. Its colour dpnds on varity that is yllow, rd or rddish-brown whn maturd [Wikipdia.com]. During harvsting, only halthy pod should b harvstd for frmntation. Disasd pods ar discardd. Frqunt harvsting may b dictatd by pod disas, but, whr it is not, long intrvals btwn harvsts should b avoidd sinc this can lad to th collction of pods of varying ripnss. It is prfrabl to opn pods by striking thm with a woodn battn rathr than a macht. Subramanyam, B.H. t al. Global annual production has roughly doubld in rcnt dcads, raching 3.6 million tons in and incrasingly concntratd in a handful of countris. Ovr th last 10 yars, Africa has firmly stablishd itslf as th lading cocoa supplir. Sinc 2000/2001, Africa s production has xpandd at an avrag annual rat of 2.7%, according to th Intrnational Cocoa Organization (ICCO, 2010). Much of this growth has com from Ghana, which achivd th largst incras in output (up by 269,000 tons). Farmrs across Wst and Cntral Africa s cocoa blt now account for mor than two-thirds of global production. Th ICCO forcasts that annual global production will rach 4.5 million tons by 2013; this growth will primarily com from Wst Africa (ICCO 2008). In , Ghana was th scond biggst producr aftr Cot d Ivoir, rprsnting 21% of global production (World Cocoa Foundation, 2010). Cocoa production in Ghana is focusd narly xclusivly in th forst agro-cological zons of th country Ashanti Rgion, Brong-Ahafo Rgion, Cntral Rgion, Eastrn Rgion, Wstrn Rgion, and Volta Rgion whr climatic conditions ar idal for cocoa production. Th arlist cocoa farms wr largly stablishd in th southast. Evr sinc, th picntr of production has gradually shiftd to th wst. By th arly 1980s, th Ashanti Rgion and Brong Ahafo Rgion accountd for 35.5% and 18.5%, rspctivly, of total output. Today, th Wstrn Rgion alon supplis mor than half (56.5%) of th total annual cocoa crop. Mining in Ghana Th rsurgnc in th mining industry in Ghana sinc 1989 cannot b considrd an isolatd phnomnon. It is drivn by th global paradigm which mphasiss privat sctor-ld dvlopmnt as th ngin of conomic rcovry in dvloping countris. In ths conomic programms, African countris with important mining sctors wr obligd to shift thir policy mphasis towards a primary objctiv of maximising tax rvnu from mining ovr th long trm (which rmains largly a mirag), rathr than pursuing othr conomic or political objctivs such as control of rsourcs or nhancmnt of mploymnt. According to th World Bank, this primary objctiv could only b achivd by a nw division of labour whr by govrnmnts focus on industry rgulation and promotion whil privat companis tak th lad in oprating, managing and owning minral ntrpriss (World Bank, 2010). Btwn 1984 and 1995, thr wr significant institutional dvlopmnt and policy changs to rflct th nw paradigm, from th stablishmnt of th Minrals Commission in 1984 and th promulgation of th Minrals and Mining Cod in 1986 to th promulgation of th Small-Scal Mining Law in 1989 and th stablishmnt of th Environmntal Protction Agncy in

3 Illgal Small Scal Mining (Galamsay) Awarnss and Impact on Cocoa Production... Th historical importanc of mining in th conomic dvlopmnt of Ghana is considrabl and wll documntd, with th country s colonial nam Gold Coast rflcting th importanc of th mining sctor. Gold dominats th mining sctor and Ghana is Africa s scond most important producr of gold aftr South Africa, th third largst producr of mangans and aluminium and a significant producr of bauxit and diamonds (Coakly G. J., 1999). In addition, invntoris of iron, limston, kaolin, salt and othr industrial minral rsourcs xist but ar not xploitd on a larg scal. From th incption of Ghana s conomic policy changs in 1983 to dat, th mining sctor has witnssd a considrabl invstmnt boom and incrasd production, particularly in th gold sctor. Thr has bn considrabl growth in th numbr of nw mins and xploration companis. Th sctor has also attractd a significant numbr of sctor support companis such as catring and transport companis, xplosiv manufacturrs, minral assay laboratoris, tc. Th sctor has incrasd its contribution to gross forign xchang arnings and appars to hav attractd substantial forign dirct invstmnt funds ovr th yars (Fny, P., 1998). Dspit this boom, thr is growing unas with rgard to th ral bnfits accruing to th ordinary Ghanaian in th mining communitis and to th country as a whol, in th light of th xtrmly gnrous fiscal and othr incntivs givn to mining companis undr th mining sctor rforms. As obsrvd by Patricia Fny, th World Bank stratgy is surprisingly silnt on masurs that might b rquird to protct th rights of vulnrabl sgmnts of th socity during th conomic transition (Coakly G.J. 1999). Othr rlvant factors includ th ngativ nvironmntal impact of illgal small scal mining (galamsay) and th growing rdundancis associatd with th privatisation of stat-ownd mining companis. Thus, th growing incidnc of conflict btwn mining communitis and thir chifs on on hand and illgal small scal mining companis on th othr hand chos th growing disquit about th ffcts on our poor cocoa farmrs in th rural aras. Fars hav bn xprssd by som Ghanaians that illgal small scal mining in Ghana might b a rsourc curs rathr than a blssing. Much has bn writtn of lat about Ghana s illgal small scal mining and th ngativ impact that this is having on our agricultur spcifically cocoa production. Howvr, this prcivd ngativ impact should not b takn for grantd bcaus this has not bn th story of othr mining-rich African countris. Th qustion thrfor, may b askd; is Ghana s illgal small scal mining (Galamsay) a thrat or complmnt to th cocoa industry? It is for this rason that this rsarch is bing undrtakn in ordr to provid a rcord of th viws and prcption of cocoa farmrs to hlp undrstand farmrs attitud and srv as a rfrnc sourc in participatory dcision making. Thrfor, th following rsarch qustions nd to b answrd; 1. Ar cocoa farmrs awar of illgal small scal mining in th study ara? 2. What ar th socio-conomic charactristics of farmrs in th study ara? 3. Do cocoa farmrs prciv illgal small scal mining as a complmnt to cocoa industry? 4. Ar cocoa farmrs rady to las or rlas lands for galamsy oprations? 5. How do cocoa farmrs prciv th gnral ffct of illgal mining on cocoa production? 6. What ar cocoa farmr s rcommndations and stratgis on how bst illgal mining can bcom a blssing and not a curs? Adquat knowldg on th impact of illgal small scal mining would bnfit th cocoa farmrs and th conomy as a whol through th following: 1. Th involvmnt of th farmrs in th rsarch will go a long way to inform thm, th impact of illgal small scal mining on cocoa production. 33

4 Boatng t al. 2. Th rsarch will hlp th farmr to know th ffct of land dgradation on cocoa aras. 3. This rsarch will contribut to natural rsourc managmnt by providing concpts, scintific information and applid tools that ar valuabl to formulating and implmnting policis that would support sustainabl managmnt of natural rsourcs for cocoa production. 4. Furthrmor, this rsarch will provid practical modls, mthodologis, bst practics and mpirical rsourc for studnts, applid rsarchrs in govrnmnt or privat rsarch organizations intrstd in natural rsourc managmnt and policy analysis. 5. Lastly, th rsarch would also srv as a valuabl sourc of information for anyon sking to b informd about th impact of illgal small scal mining on cocoa Mthodology Study Ara Th Eastrn Rgion is on of Ghana s tn administrativ rgions. It covrs an ara of 19,323 squar kilomtrs, which is about 8.1% of Ghana s total land ara. Th rgion is dividd into administrativ districts. Th total numbr of districts was incrasd from 17 districts to 21. Atiwa District is namd aftr th Atiwa Mountain Rang that has a bautiful vrgrn forst covr. Th mountain is again th sourc of rivrs Birim and Dnsu and a numbr of strams. Thr ar also attractions lik watrfalls, buttrfly sanctuary and th mausolum for th burial of Akym Abuakwa Kings in th forst. Th nam Atiwa thrfor connots walth or richnss. Th Atiwa District is on of th twnty on Districts in th Eastrn Rgion and locatd in th North-Wstrn part of th Eastrn Rgion. Th District was carvd out of th East Akim Municipal by Lgislativ Instrumnt (L.I) 1784 of 20th Fbruary 2004 in pursuanc of th Govrnmnt s Dcntralization policy. Kwabng is th District Capital. Th District shars boundaris with fiv (5) Districts as follows; To th North by Kwahu Wst Municipal, To th South by East Akim Municipal, To th Wst by Birim Cntral Municipal to th East by Fantakwa and To th South Wst by Kwabibirim. Othr major towns in th District ar Anyinam, Skyr Nw Jjti, Abomosu, Kadwaso, Akropong, and Asaman-Tamfo. Th district is also a farming ara in Ghana and a priority for th inhabitants. Data Collction Primary data for th study was collctd through th administing of structurd qustionnairs as wll as intrviwing sampl of farmrs and ky informants in th study ara. In ordr to gt th rlvant rspondnts (cocoa farmrs) for all th statd objctivs, purposiv sampling tchniqu was usd to slct tn (10) cocoa-growing communitis in th district, this is bcaus apart from ths communitis bing cocoa growing ons, galamsay is prmannt. Ths communitis ar Abomosu, Akrofufu, Akwabooso, Asmama, Asunafo, Awnar, Bomaa, Juaso, Kwabng and osino. Within ach community, tn (10) farmrs wr intrviwd using th Snowball Sampling Tchniqu, which is a tchniqu whrby a rsarchr idntifis somon (from th population) who mts th critria for inclusion in th study as a rspondnt- in this cas, a cocoa farmr. Aftr intrviwing ach rspondnt, th rsarchr is dirctd by th rspondnt to th nxt prson (cocoa farmr) who mts th critria, until th sampl population is xhaustd. A sampl siz of 100 farmrs was slctd across th communitis in th study. Th qustionnair was dsignd to collct information on th following: Prsonal and background charactristics such as ag, ducation, marital status and numbr of dpndants; Farm charactristics; Farmrs prcption on how illgal mining affcts cocoa production in th study ara, farm siz, farmr s livlihood tc. 34

5 Illgal Small Scal Mining (Galamsay) Awarnss and Impact on Cocoa Production... Farmr s stratgis for coping and rcommndations about illgal mining. Scondary data was also takn from th Atiwa District Assmbly and othr rlvant institutions and sourcs. Data Analysis Basd on th natur of th rsarch and data collctd, dscriptiv analysis was usd to pursu th objctivs of this rsarch. Statistical tools such frquncy distribution, prcntags and mans wr also usd to analys and dscrib th prcption of cocoa farmrs. Rsults wr prsntd in tabls and graphs. Th statistical tool usd to arriv at th rsults of this study is th Statistical Packag for Social Scincs (SPSS). Rsults and Discussion Socio-conomic charactristics of cocoa farmrs in th ara Cocoa farming in th study ara appars to b a mal dominatd activity, with 75.0% of th rspondnts bing mn and 25.0% bing fmal. This may b attributd to th xrtion of physical nrgy rquird in cocoa cultivation. About 21.0% of th farmrs had no dpndant, 13.0% had dpndants ranging from 1 to 3, 48.0% had dpndants ranging from 4-7, 13.0% had 8-10 dpndants and 5.0% had abov 10 dpndants. This shows that most cocoa farmrs hav familis to car for. Non of th farmrs fll blow ag 18, about 4.0% of th farmrs ar in th ag rang of 18-25yars, 20.0% falling within th ag rang of 26-35yars, whil 76.0% of th farmrs ar in th ag rang of 35yars and abov. By implication, bcaus of th dmographic structur of th study ara, oldr popl gnrally stay in th villags and rlativly youngr popl go to th citis to find work xplaining why w hav a highr group of that ag brackt thus, 35.0% and abov. About 20.0% of th farmrs hav had no formal ducation, 23.0% of th farmrs had formal ducation up to th Primary school lvl with 32.0% attaining Junior Scondary school (JSS) ducation followd by 17.0% who hav had Snior Scondary School (SSS) ducation followd by only 8.0% of th farmrs raching trtiary ducation lvl. This divrs ducational stands could somwhat affct farmrs knowldg and th way thy look at nw tchnologis (Codjo l al). By implication this is so bcaus at th villag lvl, w only hav primary and junior scondary schools bing prdominant. About 14.0% of th farmrs hav thir cocoa farms ranging btwn ag 1-5, indicating that this prcntag of farmrs ar nw ntrants to cocoa cultivation in th study ara hnc rquir a lot of information and knowldg in cocoa cutivation. This is howvr, followd by 23.0% having thir cocoa farm btwn ags 6-10 yars, 25.0% of th cocoa farm btwn ag yars whil 29.0% had thir cocoa ag ranging btwn yars which is th majority. 6.0 % of th cocoa farms had ag ranging btwn yar and only (3.0%) of ths farmrs had farms abov 40yars in th study ara. This shows that, most of th cocoa in th study ara ar blow 40 yars should b maintaind to produc mor othr than giving th land to galamsay oprators. Th issu of land tnur systms and litigation has ncssitatd to 55.0% of th farmrs having land siz ranging from 1-5 ha bing th majority, followd by 24.0% having land siz ranging from 6-10 ha, followd by10.0% having land siz ranging from ha and 1.0 % having land siz abov 20 ha. This could also b linkd to land ownrship systm in th study ara. 28.0% work on acquird land, 32.0% work on rntd lands whils 40.0% work on family lands. Planting hybrid cocoa varity is dominant among rspondnts rprsnting 60.0%, followd by mixd 35

6 Boatng t al. cocoa (38.0%) whil Amlonado was only 2.0% in thir farms as a main varity that thy cultivat. According to Codjo t al, 2013, this phnomnon could b attribut to th fact that Amlonado which is th old varity is fading out of th systm with th incras awarnss about th othr varitis most spcially th hybrid which ar arly baring, disas rsistant and arly maturing with rgards to th Amlonado. This mans that farmrs would b incrasing thir productivity with th hybrid tc. ctris paribus. Looking at th major sourc of livlihood of th rspondnts in th study ara, 85.0% of thm us farming as thir major sourc of livlihood, followd by Businss (Ptty trading) which is 6.0%, followd by any othr occupation such as driving, lctrician tc. bing 5.0% and lastly Govrnmnt work bing 4.0%. This shows that farming is a wll-known occupation in our rural aras and so should b maintaind. Most of th farmrs hav a lot of bnfits from cocoa production. 63.0% rspondd that cocoa hlps thm tak car of thmslvs and thir familis, 36.0% said it hlps thm pay thir kids school fs and only 1.0% talkd about othr bnfits lik building of houss. For th smallholdr cocoa farmrs, cocoa contributs about % of thir annual houshold incom (Asamoah and Baah, 2002). Cocoa mploys about 50% of th agricultural labour forc in Ghana (Sini, 2002). This mans that th cocoa sctor should b supportd and maintaind. Tabl 1 show th numrical rprsntation of th socio-conomic charactristics of th farmr s in th communitis within th district. Dtrmination of Cocoa Farmrs Prcption of Galamsay and its ffct on Cocoa in th Study Ara Cocoa Farmrs awarnss of Galamsay oprations within th study ara In sking th gnral viw of farmrs about thir awarnss of illgal small scal mining (Galamsay) within th communitis in th study ara, 95.1 % of th farmrs rspondd YES whils 2.9% rspondd NO followd by 2% rsponding to No Ida. This is dpictd in figur 1, th rsults that most of th cocoa farmrs intrviwd ar awar of th bad practic within th ara. This should b takn in considration by th Govrnmnt and stakholdrs in th cocoa industry. Cocoa farmr s awarnss about Chif s giving th land to galamsay oprators In sking th viws of cocoa farmrs in th study ara about Chif s giving th land out for illgal small scal mining (Galamsay oprations), 48.1% of thm said YES to that qustion, 12.7 % of th farmrs said NO and 39.2% answrd No Ida about chif giving th lands out for illgal small scal mining. From th data, cocoa farmrs want to suggst that chif s or local authoritis ar mainly part of illgal small scal mining in th study ara. This is rprsntd in figur 2. Farmr s knowldg about whn galamsay startd within th communitis in th study ara Sinc most farmrs wr awar of illgal small scal mining oprations within th ara, it will b prudnt for thm to provid data on whn th opration startd in th communitis. 45.1% of th cocoa farmrs gav rang of 1-3 yars ago, 23.5% gav a rang of 4-7yars ago, 11.8% gav a rang of 8-11yars ago, 6.9% gav rang of 12-15yars ago and 5.9% said Galamsay startd 16yars ago and ovr. Th rst of th rspondnts wr not awar and did not know about galamsay in th study communitis. This rang show that for about 30 yar to com, all our cocoa farm lands within th communitis undr study can b turnd into illgal small scal mining sit which may go a long way dstroying th biotic and abiotic proprtis. This calls for an agl y on galamsay oprations. Figur 3 rprsnts rang of yars and prcntag as statd by th farmrs Rspondnt s viw on why th farmrs stop cocoa and gos into galamsay Th graph (Fig. 4) illustrats why som cocoa farmrs will abandon thir farm and go for mining 36

7 Illgal Small Scal Mining (Galamsay) Awarnss and Impact on Cocoa Production... rlatd businss lik Galamsay. Majority 76.4% said it bcaus of quick mony, 13.7% said bcaus it pays bttr, and 6.9% said it is xpnsiv to maintain cocoa farms and 2.9% said cocoa farms ar not doing wll. Th prcption of quick mony is rally a ky factor lading to a lot of social violnc lik Child labour and womn molstation. Th govrnmnt should tak a drastic masur to rub away this prcption by running mor ducational programs to ncourag th youth to go into farming as wll as caring for farm handd ovr to thm by thir old folks. Galamsay Impact on Cocoa Cocoa is a major sourc of rvnu for th provision of varoius public infrastructur and an occupation mostly lovd by Ghanaian farmrs and som othr countris. Cocoa by far has bcom Ghana s most important crop. It dominats th agricultural sctor and is a major sourc of incom for approximatly 800,000 farmrs and many othrs ngagd in trad, transportation and procssing of cocoa (COCOBOD SCRA REPORT, 2001). Ghana s cocoa sctor has stagd an imprssiv rcovry in rcnt yars. Ghana can boast of 1,000,000 mtric tonns of cocoa in th 2010/2011 crop yar. Majority (86.0%) of th rspondnts ar of th viw that galamsay has grat ffct or impact on cocoa production. 5% of th farmrs wr of th viw that galamsay has no impact on cocoa production, followd by 9% who rspondd No Ida. Thy ar unawar about galamsay having any impact on cocoa production. Th 86% of th farmrs wr on th viw that galamsay has grat impact on cocoa production and gav rason lok; it causs crop loss. Th crop loss happns whn th galamsay is don right in th farm. Ths crops ar dstroyd with big machins lik bulldozrs. Anothr rason givn was that, it also affcts thir crop yild and incom. This normally happns whn part of thir lands ar forcfully takn. This rducs thir xpctations on th yild. This also lads to loss of incom. Furthrmor, whn th lands ar takn from th farmrs, som xpct allocation of nw land in form of compnsation which somtim nvr happns. All ths ngativly affct th farmr s output. Howvr, farmrs ar of th viw that, thy will not lav cocoa production and ntr into any mining rlatd businss lik galamsay. This is bcaus; thy know cocoa has a futur for thm as wll as thir gnrations unborn. Fig. 5 displays th rspondnts viw in th impact of galamsay on cocoa production. Galamsay Impact on cocoa Land siz Th Atiwa district is highly dgradd with th rsultant loss of vgtation covr, frtil top soil and wild fauna spcis as a rsult of advrs climatic trnds and ngativ factors influncing nvironmntal dgradation such as small-scal gold mining (Gyasi t al., 2006). Dsrtification and land dgradation ar two closly intrrlatd procsss; Land dgradation rfrs to th progrssiv loss of th intrinsic or natural quality of th land and if this procss occurs in arid or smi-arid aras, it is calld dsrtification (Gyasi t al., 2006). Th issu of land sizs coms in hr whn th lands ar forcibly takn from farmrs and this also has grat impact on cocoa yild. Som farmrs rspondd that parts of thir lands hav bn takn. 30.4% had an avrag of 1-5hctars of land takn, 18.6% also had an avrag of 6-10hctars takn, 5.9% had an avrag of 11-15hctars also takn and 3.9% also had an avrag of 16-20ha takn. In avrag, about 50ha of land has bn takn from cocoa farmrs in th study ara, this is dpictd in fig. 6. This affcts th outputs which can latr translat into th farmr s loss of imcom (Livlihood). Economic trs such as Funtumia lastica (Ofuntum), Alstonia booni (Nyamdua), Pycnanthus angolnsis (Oti), Milicia xclsa (Odum), Spathoda campanulata (Akuakuoninsuo) in th ara ar also lost through galamsay (Sourc: Bunso Cocoa Collg). Galamsay Impact on th Environmnt Illgal small scal mining as said by th farmrs also poss som ffct on th nvironmnt as wll. All ths factors also hav ngativ impact on cocoa production. Thy talkd about issus of: 37

8 Boatng t al. Watr contamination Chmicals such as cyanid ar rlasd into watr-bodis which turn to pollut th watr and mak it unsaf for human consumption. Dirt and soils ar washd into watr-bodis which tnd to chang th natur of watr giving it a dirty colour and making it unsaf for domstic us. Th dath of frogs, fishs and othr aquatic livs du to th rlas of chmicals mak it unsaf for watring our crops. Th dirction of watr-bodis is also rdirctd to nhanc galamsay oprations which thrfor lad to th pollution of ths watr-bodis. In th cours of rdircting watr othr objcts such as tr stumps, lavs, plastic wasts, and mpty chmical bottls ar carrid along and this intnt polluts th watr. Air contamination Chmicals usd for th galamsay oprations find thir way into th atmosphr which whn inhald, may pos srious halth risks to living organisms. Dust from thir oprations pollut th air and maks it unhalthy for brathing. Chmicals or dust from th sit whn rlasd into th air may find its way into on s ys which can also lad to srious mdical complications. Whn th farmrs bcom ill, thy will not b abl to work in th farms. Bush/Farm burning Whn sits narr to cocoa farms ar rlasd for galamsay oprations, burning somtims tak plac. This can sprad to narby farms and caus loss of som cocoa trs and othr important conomic trs as wll. Whn lctrical appliancs usd on th sit catch fir, narby farms ar affctd, this lads to land dgradation which in turn affcts crop loss and subsqunt production. Dath of frogs, birds and fishs (loss of aquatic livs) Chmicals rlasd into watr-bodis and th atmosphr can caus th dath of frogs, fishs and birds which nds up polluting our watr-bodis and also lad to various disass from th dath of ths animals. A mdical condition calld zoonosis (transfrring animal disas to human) can b vry rampant. Th us of havy machins can kill th frogs and fishs living in th watr and lav th watr pollutd. This causs halth implication for cocoa farmrs and othr inhabitants. Othr risk obsrvd by farmrs from galamsay opration in th communitis is cracks in farm houss and buildings. Dtrmination of Cocoa Farmr Rcommndation and Stratgis to dal with Illgal Small Scal Mining (Galamsay) Has th farmr participatd in workshop concrning Galamsay About 21.6% of th farmrs rspondd that, thy hav attndd mtings, trainings and workshop concrning galamsay. Thy had th training through farmr fild schools, Radio and TV programms. Majority (78.4%) of th farmrs has not attndd any mting or workshop programm concrning galamsay as statd abov. I will thrfor rcommnd that such programms will b intnsifid to mak farmrs know mor about galamsay and its ffct. Fig. 7 displays participation of rspondnts in galamsay dcision mtings. Do you think Farmrs should b involvd in dcision making concrning galamsay Participatory Larning and Action (PLA) is an approach for larning about and ngaging with communitis. It combins an vr-growing toolkit of participatory and visual mthods with natural intrviwing tchniqus and is intndd to facilitat a procss of collctiv analysis and larning. Th approach can b usd in idntifying nds, planning, monitoring or valuating projcts and programms. 38

9 Illgal Small Scal Mining (Galamsay) Awarnss and Impact on Cocoa Production... Whilst it bing a powrful consultation tool, it offrs th opportunity to go byond mr consultation and promot th activ participation of communitis in th issus and intrvntions that shap thir livs (Prtty, J. t al, 1995). This is th rason why 97.1% of farmrs ar of th viw that thir consnt should b listd. Farmrs nd to b involvd in dcisions on galamsay in ordr to com out with thir displasur in th opration. Through this, thy can com out with th hazards and dangr that th oprations sm to pos on th nvironmnt and th inhabitants as a whol. Most of ths oprations ar carrid on lands vry clos to farmrs farm and thrfor, thr is th nd for farmrs to b involvd. Sits clos to farmrs farm pos many halth risks to farmrs. About 2.9% of th farmr s intrviwd wr of th viw that, thir consnts ar not takn with th rasons that, bcaus th Chifs ar involvd in giving lands out, whatvr thy say will not b takn. Galamsay oprators oftn conniv with th rulrs of th community in ordr to tak ovr farms/lands blonging to th farmrs. Tt is thrfor prudnt thy partak in such dcision making othr than convincing thm with mony. An acr of land is bing bought by th illgal minrs for about GH 6,500, so th numbr of acrs a farmr wishs to giv up is multiplid by th said amount. Fig. 8 displays farmr s rspons about involving thm in galamsay dcision mtings. Cocoa Farmrs rason about stopping Illgal small scal Mining (Galamsay) Most of th cocoa farmrs (91%) said Galamsay is a bad practic and should b stoppd. Thy gav rason that, it has dtrimntal ffct on th nvironmnt by causing pollution in th nvironmnt. Watr-bodis ar affctd, th land is dgradd and th air bcoms unsaf for brathing. Whn th land is pollutd, inhabitants ar xposd to numrous halth risks which can vn lad to dath. Crops and othr plants could b lost du to galamsay oprations. Thr will b th lost of our forsts which mans th futur gnrations will suffr th consquncs. Most livs ar lost whn th dug pits ar lft uncovrd spcially, humans and wildlif. Proprtis such as buildings and farms may b dstroyd or lost compltly. Flora and fauna ar dstroyd. Galamsay opration is not sustainabl compard to cocoa farming bcaus it poss dangrous and vry toxic risks. Som vn said thir churchs and rligious blifs frown on any act that dstroys th nvironmnt. Conclusion This study considrd th prcption of cocoa farmrs on th impact of illgal small scal mining (Galamsay) on cocoa production using Atiwa District as a tst cas. Th study stablishd that all cocoa farmrs irrspctiv of thir locations ar awar about galamsay and its multitudinal ffct on thir farming activitis. Dspit this, fforts mad by govrnmnt and stakholdrs hav bn vry minimal in snsitizing and ducating th youth and th farmrs on risk involvd in galamsay. Illgal small scal mining (Galamsay) has rally bn th major factor which has affctd th production of cocoa as a rsult of Land dgradation, watr contamination, Air contamination, divrsion of watr bodis, crack in farm houss tc. Rcommndations From th forgoing, it is rcommndd that: Th govrnmnt should incras subsidy on cocoa inputs to cocoa farmrs to nabl thm purchas psticids, frtilizrs and th ndd farm inputs that can hlp farmrs cop with mrging pst and disass that hav manatd to prvnt farmr from slling thir land in ordr to improv production of cocoa. 39

10 Boatng t al. Alrady xisting policis and laws concrning galamsay xist but thy should b strngthnd by involving farmrs in stakholdr s dcision concrning galamsay so that offndrs will b punishd to srv as dtrrnt to othrs. To achiv this govrnmnt should provid COCOBOD with structurs to b abl to function ffctivly and fficintly to plac sanctions on illgal small scal mining. Th farmrs rcommndd that govrnmnt and stakholdrs should put up ducational programm through which will show th risk involvd in illgal small scal mining to hlp thm cop with th mrging challngs to nhanc production. This can b achivd through incrasing tlvision, documntary, advrtismnt, radio tc. Acknowldg W would lik to put on rcord th immns support rcivd from Mr. Richard obour Bosompm, Mrs. Owusu Boatng, Mr. Frdinard Tornyi and th ntir xtnsion agnt in th study ara in bringing this pic to fruition. Tabl1a: Distribution of farmrs by thir Socio conomic charactristics Charactristic Frquncy Prcnt Sx Mal fmal Ag 18-25yrs yrs Abov 35 yrs Lvl of Education Non Primary JSS SSS Trtiary 8 8 Marital Status Singl Marrid No. of dpndnt Non Abov Ag of Farm 1-5yrs yrs yrs yrs yrs 6 6 Abov 40yrs 3 3 Tabl 1b: Distribution of farmrs by thir Socio-conomic charactristics Charactristic Frquncy Prcnt Farm Sizs 1-5 hctars hctars hctars hctars Abov 20 hctars 1 1 Land Ownrship Acquird it My slf Rntd Family land Cocoa varity Amlonado 2 2 Hybrid Mixd Major sourc of incom Farming Gov t work 4 4 Businss 6 6 Any othr work 5 5 Bnfit from cocoa Pay my kids school f Tak car of my slf Othr bnfits 1 1 Total Sourc: Compild from survy data

11 Illgal Small Scal Mining (Galamsay) Awarnss and Impact on Cocoa Production... Graphs show rsponds of cocoa farmrs for qustionnairs administrd Rspondnts awarnss of galamsay opration 3% 2% 95% Ys No No Ida Fig t n40 rc 30 P Rspondnts viw on chif's giving out land for galamsay opration Ys No No Ida Rspons Fig g ta 30 n rc 20 P 10 0 Graph showing yars of Galamsay in study Ara 1-3 yrs 4-7yrs 8-11yrs 12-15yrs 16 yrs Rang of yars galamsay startd Prcnt Fig. 3 41

12 Boatng t al. Why farmrs go into galamsay It is xpnsiv maintaining cocoa t u trib A Quick mony Cocoa farms ar not doing wll Bcaus it pays wll Prcnt Prcntag Fig g ta n 50 rc p 0 Rspondnt's viw of galamsay impact on cocoa crop Ys No No ida Rspons Fig g ta n 20 rc 15 P Graph showing siz of farm land takn 1-5 hctars 6-10 hatars hctars hactars Rang of farm land usd for galamsay (Ha) Prcnt Fig. 6 42

13 Illgal Small Scal Mining (Galamsay) Awarnss and Impact on Cocoa Production Farmrs participation in dcisions of galamsay g ta n rc P Ys Rspons No Fig g ta n 50 rc P 0 Farmrs rsponds on involving thm in galamsay dcisions Ys Rspons No Prcnt Fig. 8 Rfrncs Akabzaa, T. and Darimani, A Impact of mining sctor invstmnt in Ghana, A study of th Tarkwa mining rgion, draft rport, pp Bird, D Gold in Ghana. Mining Journal, January. Codjo, F.N.Y., Ocansy, C.K., Boatng, D.O. and Ofori, J Climat Chang Awarnss and Coping Stratgis of Cocoa Farmrs in Rural Ghana, Journal of Biology, Agricultur and Halthcar, 3(11). Fny, P Th Human Rights Implications of Zambia s Privatisation Programm. Gorg, J.C Th minrals industry of Ghana, in th US Dpartmnt of th Intrior, US Gological Survy, Minrals Yarbook. Ara Rports: Intrnational 1997, Africa and th Middl East, 3. Graham, R Th Aluminium Industry and th third World: Multinational Cprporations and Undrdvlopmnt. Zd prss London. Gunnarsson, C Th Gold Coast Cocoa Industry Production, prics and structural chang. Lund Publishr. 43

14 Boatng t al. Gyasi, E.A Study of Climat Chang Vulnrability and Adaptation Assssmnt Rlativ to Land Managmnt in Ghana. Rports of th Mmbrs of th Study Tam, Accra, p. 91. Hainmullr, J., Hiscox, M. and Tamp, M Sustainabl Dvlopmnt for Cocoa Farmrs in Ghana. MIT and Harvard Univrsity. January Hart, J Watr Pollution. Microsoft Studnt 2009 [DVD]. Rdmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, Hill, P Th migrant cocoa farmrs of Southrn Ghana. A study in rural capitalism. Jams Curry publishr. Kss, G.O Statistics for th Minral and Rock Rsourcs of Ghana, Konings, P Th Stat and rural class formation in Ghana: A comparativ analysis. Monograph: African Studis Cntr. Laura, I Euromony, Sptmbr. Minrals Commission Ghana Projct Implmntation Plan: Mining Sctor Dvlopmnt and Environmnt Projct, (unpublishd) Moss, T. and Young, L Saving Ghana from its Oil: Th Cas for Dirct Cash Distribution. CGD Working Papr 186. Washington, D.C.: Cntr for Global Dvlopmnt Owusu, E.E. and Dwomoh, G Th Impact of Illgal Mining on th Ghanaian Youth: Evidnc from Kwabibirm District in Ghana. Journal of Rsarch on Humanitis and Social Scincs, 2(6). Songsor, J., Yankson, P.W.K. and Tsikata G.K Mining and th Environmntal: Towards a Win-Win Stratgy (A study of th Tarkwa Aboso Nsuta Mining Complx in Ghana). Subramanyam, B.H., Bckt, S.J. and Filds, P.G Thory and Practical, Hat tratmnt for post-harvst pst control, CAB Intrnational, UK, p Supply Chain Risk Assstmnt Rport Ghana Cocoa Board. Th Institut of Statistical, Social and Economic Rsarch, (ISSER), Th Stat of th Ghanaian Economy, ISSER, Univrsity of Ghana, Lgon, Jun, pp Thomas Wald Prmannt sovrignty ovr natural rsourcs, rcnt dvlopmnts in th minral sctor. Natural Rsourcs Forum, publishd by th Unitd Nations, Nw York, July. Tsikata, F.S Th Vicissituds of Minral Policy in Ghana. Rsourcs Policy, 23(1/2): 9. World Bank Rport, World Cocoa foundation rport,