Illegal gold mining is posing a severe threat to the sustainability of cocoa production in Ghana, with many farmers and experts calling for the government to provide greater protection against this illegal activity.
The West African country, which is the world’s second-largest cocoa producer and generates about two billion dollars in foreign exchange each year from cocoa, is facing a sharp decline in production. In the past three years, cocoa production has dropped by 50% due to illegal gold mining, popularly known as “Galamsey.” And farmers are bearing the brunt.
“Some people believe that gold deposits can be found near cocoa farms. So, they go about buying land from farmers and engage in illegal mining in search of gold. Many cocoa farms have been destroyed because of illegal mining,” said Atta Mansa, a cocoa farmer.
Ghana’s cocoa regulator, COCOBOD, reports that three major cocoa-growing areas are badly affected. It estimates that 81% of cocoa farms in the eastern region, 74% in the western region, and 68% in the Ashanti region have been impacted.
“Sometimes, the farmers don’t actually sell their farms out, they are driven out of their plots by unconventional means. They can flood your farm with the dirty water from the Galamsey pits, and you cannot go in there, and you have to abandon the farm. Two things are there, so when it comes to Galamsey, COCOBOD cannot address the issue of Galamsey. It is the state that needs to address the issue of Galamsey,” said Emmanuel Kareweh, an agriculture expert.
The expert warned that toxins from contaminated water bodies created by illegal gold mining cause cocoa crops to suffer from diseases and stunted growth. They are concerned that Ghana’s revenue from cocoa could decline if the issue is not directly addressed.
The government has set up a task force to arrest and prosecute illegal miners and plans to create jobs for young people in the affected areas to help clean up polluted water bodies and restore degraded land.
Cocoa farmers remain hopeful that these efforts will help revive their cocoa farms and secure their livelihoods.
