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The Environmental Impacts of Cash Crops in Ghana

Group 5

Emily Rojewski, Jason Shulman,

Terrence Saylor, and Yuechun Yang

1. Introduction

Economies across the continent of Africa rely heavily on the exports of hot commodity goods, most commonly in the agriculture industry. Often referred to as “cash crops”, these raw goods are shipped all over the world to other countries as well as global businesses for manufacturing. While these exchanges with outside buyers often have positive economical effects on the African communities such as increased employment and family incomes, the environmental impacts of cash crops can result in disastrous consequences for the land and the people that inhabit it.

This research paper looks to delve into the environmental effects that occur due to the large-scale farming of commercialized goods, specifically the exportation of cocoa beans in the nation of Ghana. As a nation that was “built … by developing the import-export business department at a national and international level” (Daoui, 2018), Ghana has grown accustomed to the mass production and trade of cocoa beans and other cash crops, turning a blind eye to its effects on the land like deforestation, soil erosion, and stream sedimentation.

Starting with the definition of “cash crops” and the wide influence they have on Africa as a whole, this paper explores why nations like Ghana are so dependent on the exportation of their natural resources. After covering the background and applications of cash crops, this report takes a hard look at the environmental damages that commercialized farming and mass production of goods like cocoa beans have on the delicate, pre-existing ecosystems. The expansion of land used for cocoa production and rise in climate change are cause for ecological alarm. In an article written by Amira Daoui about the environmental impact on cocoa production, she reports:

According to [experts], by 2050, Ivory Coast and Ghana will suffer tremendously from the cocoa production crisis that will degenerate due to global warming. Things can get so serious that the cocoa beans might be impossible to grow because of these inevitable natural reasons (2018).

After addressing the catastrophic consequences of the current systems in place, this paper presents an array of solutions to create a more sustainable agriculture industry with the intention of preserving the environment and the local economies. From educating cocoa farmers and buyers about their ecological impact to changing how these cash crops are grown, there are multiple options that both local farmers and global audiences can agree to implement.

2. Cash Crops and Their Influence in African Nations

A cash crop is defined as “a readily salable crop produced or gathered primarily for market”. In order to be considered a cash crop, these raw materials must be harvested with the intention of exportation instead of domestic consumption by the farmers themselves. Cotton, palm oil, and cocoa beans are common commodities used in this practice, fetching high prices in the global market. Buyers of these raw goods may include large companies—like Hershey Chocolate, General Mills, and Dunavant Enterprises—looking to produce food or clothing with high quality ingredients. Other countries will also purchase these crops to boost their own economies due to a lack of agricultural resources in their own nation.

These agricultural goods and other natural exports are staples for many African economies due to the variety of environmental resources available in the region. According to a United Nations report published by the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) in 2013:

Agriculture creates most of the jobs in Africa… agriculture accounts for half or more of the working population. The agricultural population in Africa stands at 530 million people, and is expected to exceed 580 million by 2020. The population relying on agriculture accounts for 48% of the total African population (pg. 15).

Needless to say, the economies of African nations are heavily reliant on their agricultural products, specifically cash crops. Millions of families survive on the money they make from producing crops for exportation. Without cash crops, many farming communities would fail to stay afloat and contribute to the economy.

Specifically in Ghana, the number of exports has grown exponentially since 2010 with $3 billion coming from foodstuff. This influx of cash is mostly comprised of cocoa bean farming which is shipped globally with the purpose of being manufactured into goods like lotions, beauty products, and chocolate. Cocoa farmers make up a large percentage of the population in Ghana with over 800,000 families supported solely from this industry; this cash crop is essentially the lifeblood of the ghanaian economy.

Cocoa farming not only rules the economics of Ghana, but also the nation’s time and land usage. According to The Observatory of Economic Complexity, Ghana uses over 1.89 million hectares of land to harvest these beans. To put that in perspective, the largest city in Ghana, Accra, is only 6,000 hectares large. In order to harvest cocoa beans, land needs to be cleared and prepared for three to five years before trees can begin yielding cocoa pods, the fruit that bears the highly valued beans. During the harvest season, cocoa beans go through a laborious process that involves breaking the pods, drying the insides, and fermenting the beans. This procedure takes up huge amounts of time in order to produce a high quality product. As a billion-dollar industry in west Africa, cocoa dictates the livelihoods of countless communities, commanding tiring work hours and consuming an inconceivable amount of land.

The economic, environmental, and labor investments of the Ghanaian people are firmly rooted in the exports of cash crops, specifically the cocoa bean. Many families rely on the money brought in from the sales of their product and the whole nation prospers from the agriculture industry. There is a deep reliance on the success of this business for the well-being of the individual farmers, the local communities, and the entire Ghanaian population. This dependency on cocoa is so strong that farmers, businesses, and politicians may overlook the mounting ecological damage that could leave Ghana and other African nations in an environmental crisis; a crisis that may prove irreparable.

3. Environmental Impacts of Cash Crops in Ghana

Agriculture is an important staple of Ghana’s economy, therefore, it is a driving factor in its environmental struggles. The country of Ghana offers a rich landscape of various environmental habitats which are rich in natural resources. The exploitation of such natural resources has led to various environmental implications including land degradation, deforestation, and desertification.

Agricultural production is dependent on the quality of its land and soil. Land deterioration is defined as “the temporary or permanent decline in the productive capacity of the land, and the diminution of the productive potential, including its major land uses, its farming systems, and its value as an economic resource” (International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences). Soil erosion is considered to be one of the major forms of land degradation within Ghana. Even though soil erosion is a process that occurs naturally a lot of human activities can increase the rate at which the erosion occurs. Specialized farming systems for cash crop cultivation were found to utilize certain farming practices that have a negative impact on Ghana’s soil quality. This type of specialized crop production lead to “soil erosion, eutrophication, and acidification of the soil as a result of fertilizer and

chemical application” (Fredua) Eutrophication is a process in which bodies of water become saturated with nutrients like phosphorus, leading to reduced levels of oxygen (Merriam Webster).

Since agriculture accounts for a large portion of Ghana’s GDP there has not only been an environmental toll taken but an economic one as well. In a 2005 study completed in association with the World Bank, it was “estimated that the loss in annual GDP growth in Ghana due to agricultural soil erosion and poor land management in crop production is 1.1–2.4 %” (Fredua).

Cocoa production in the western region of Ghana occurs in cocoa agroforests, which are “multifunctional system(s) where woody perennials (like cocoa) are deliberately used on the same plot as other crops” (Cacao Forest). This part of west Ghana specifically within the Juaboso-Bia District, a place known for its rich biodiversity, is where half of the country’s cocoa cultivation takes place. The traditionally diverse landscape has been slowly converted from tropical rain forest to cocoa farm systems (Rainforest Alliance). According to the Rainforest Alliance between the years 1988 to 2010, Cocoa production in Ghana grew 2.5 million acres; an expansion that took place mostly in the western region. Besides the amount of land, it takes to grow cocoa the crop itself also has been attributing to additional issues concerning the welfare of the environment. As cocoa trees begin to age, their average yield decreases. This, in turn, requires farmers to seek out more land to plant additional trees. Climate change has also has taken its toll on the crop and cocoa farming as a whole. With climate change has come “an increased occurrence of pests and diseases, alterations in seasonal weather patterns, and the increased likelihood of forest fires” (Rainforest Alliance).

With current varieties of cocoa crop aging the addition of new varieties and hybrids of the crop have begun to be introduced into the environment. Like most farmers, cocoa farmers in Ghana favor crops that will provide them with the most amount of profits in the shortest amount of time. When it comes to cocoa farming in Ghana, there has been a fairly recent shift in farming practices due to the driving force of short-term profits. Although cocoa production has been steadily increasing, the traditional method of cultivation for cocoa with agroforestry systems didn’t require the complete removal of all shade-producing forest fauna. This is because the traditional breed of cocoa use was tetteh quarshie, which is known to be shade-dependent and tolerant. However, in recent years introduction of hybrid cocoa varieties, which require “full sun conditions,” had led to the mass removals of forest plants and coverings. Full-sun plants have a shorter growth cycle due to the conditions in which they are cultivated. Shorter growth cycles lead to higher profits in the short-term Today, “nearly three-quarters of Ghana’s [cocoa] production area, there is little to no shade”(Kolavalli). Because of this profit-driven farming practice, cocoa production is the driving cause of deforestation throughout Ghana (Rainforest Alliance).

Besides deforestation, desertification is another growing environmental concern throughout the country of Ghana. The World Wildlife Fund defines desertification as “droughts and arid conditions the landscape endures as a result of human exploitation of fragile ecosystems” (WWF). As countries continue to develop throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, the transition from wilderness into agricultural land has been a driving factor in soil erosion. With farmers clearing out natural vegetation for agricultural crops that have more difficulty holding on to the soil, erosion occurs more often. Cash crops that exemplify this issue are coffee, cotton, palm oil, soybean, and wheat (two of which: palm oil and cotton are produced in Ghana). Overworking of the land with poor farming practices can further damage the land’s soil by depleting it of nutrients, salinity levels, and the structure of the soil itself (WWF). Desertification is a widespread concern as “65 percent of Ghana’s land is prone to desertification and soil erosion” (Pobia). Environmental expert, Thomas Ayamga, has warned against this growing issue that had had an especially negative impact in North Ghana. North Ghana lies closest to the Sahara suffers from the highest annual temperatures (20-41 degrees Celsius) in the country (Npong). Even with the rate of desertification is increasing globally, the changes in rainfall amounts and patterns is especially concerning for Ghana. A country that relies on its agricultural productivity for its economy and the livelihoods of its citizens. Ghana’s government has always tried to keep sustainable farming practices a priority; however, the drive for profit can often eclipse this environmentally conscious agenda. With the climate changing and the effects of crash crop cultivation intensifying, now is the time to address these environmental concerns more than ever. With the collaborative efforts of Ghana’s government, NGOs (non-government organizations), and nonprofits, environmental degradation will be addressed through a multifaceted approach.

4. Solutions to Balance Economical and Ecological Needs

Although cocoa farming has brought severe damage to the community, some specialists mention that it will not be a case if this problem is dealt properly. It may appear seemingly impossible to completely cease the environmental degradation in Ghana such as deforestation and desertification, but there are tactics and strategies that cocoa bean farmers have put in place to ensure the environment stays in a relatively healthy state. A non-governmental organization called Rainforest Alliance has demonstrated in Western Ghana’s Juaboso- Bia District how these approaches truly make a difference on the impact of the environment. It has helped implement climate-smart agricultural practices like the conservation of forests, farmers reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing carbon storage on their land while enhancing their farms’ productivity (Rainforest Alliance). Not only do these changes help positively improve the environment and the residents’ lives, but it also increases the farms’ resiliency to the changing climates that are common in Africa’s regions like Ghana. Specifically, the Juaboso-Bia District is located in Ghana’s high forest zone between the Krokoshua Hills Forest Reserve and Bia National Park, comprised of croplands, cocoa agroforests and small natural forests that hold many animals including forest elephants and monkeys. Over the years, these forests have been harshly deforested primarily due to the demand for cocoa production. Over half of Ghana’s cocoa is grown in this distinct area and with cocoa farming increasing in land by nearly 2.5 million acres from 1988 to 2010, it’s clear-cut as to how serious of a problem deforestation has become to not only civilians, but the animals that inhabit these forests (Rainforest Alliance). With cocoa’s vulnerability to withstand a vast ranging climate change, the increase of pests and diseases, alterations in seasonal weather patterns, and the escalation of forest fires, all of these factors combine to pose a threatening challenge to cocoa farmers in Juaboso-Bia. Ghana’s government owns all remnant forest trees, and it many instances it issues felling licenses to chop down these trees in order to guarantee the crops the most exposure to sunlight. While this certainly may increase production in the short-term, the loss of forest trees result in negative impacts on the environment in the long-term. Not to mention that the logging activities can cause serious harm to cocoa plants while farmers are rarely compensated for their losses, leaving them little incentive to protect the forest trees. One quick solution to this problem is farmers’ ability to own the trees that they plant on their land, if they successfully register them with the government (Rainforest Alliance).

Part of the Rainforest Alliance’s vision toward rehabilitating dying forests in Ghana involves a change in the economy’s mindset. Forests should be viewed as an essential part of a diversified local economy instead of obstacles to development, and with this view comes the responsibility of both farmers and the government to ensure protection of forests and trees with respect to the animal species living there. In order for this theory to become a reality, local communities will need to be provided with the proper training and skills and given the opportunities to govern and maintain their own land instead of being under superficial control from one central government. Rainforest Alliance has turned their goals into realities by helping smallholder farmers increase cocoa production while preparing them for adaptations due to climate change. It also fulfilled its objective of reducing emissions to keep the atmosphere cleaner and more sustainable for cash crops, while providing farmers with increased knowledge of how to obtain ownership of the trees on their land, a huge step in the right direction toward the development of Ghana’s economy. According to Rainforest Alliance, it’s seen promising results thus far and cites Oduro Kwadwo as a prime example. He planted over 800 trees on his cocoa farm, looking to start a trend of new beginnings in regards to building back up the environment the government has continually destroyed. Kwadwo is seeking to earn some revenue off of his trees, specifically from the sale of tinder (Rainforest Alliance). The non-governmental organization has a standard, titled Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) that it has to meet in order to be certified. In completing its goals of increasing economic opportunities and reducing GHG emissions, Rainforest Alliance has successfully met it requirements in SAN.

As mentioned, Rainforest Alliance aided cocoa farmers in knowledge of how to deal with drastic climatic changes, and as a result, trained over 2,000 farmers from 34 different communities. The farmers have then passed along their training techniques with other farmers, in turn creating a chain of knowledged to be passed along, eventually increasing farmers’ awareness of handling cocoa plants facing different temperatures. It also presented farmers with tons of native tree seedlings to restore degraded forest areas in hopes of building a new environmental foundation. Another one of Rainforest Alliance's primary goals was fulfilled when they assisted in organizing farmers into 12 cooperatives, making it easier to coordinate farmer training activities and dissolve the problems surrounding ownership rights. The Rainforest Alliance’s Senior Manager, Christian Mensah, stated “Before a group of farmers can be certified, they need an internal management system,” identifying the need for organized planning in regards to farmers governing themselves. “This can only happen when farmers cluster together, and when they are given enough capacity to empower themselves, to make their own decisions, and to transform the lands that they are working on,” Mensah said.

Another way Rainforest Alliance has provided a solution to Ghana’s economical dilemma is by developing enterprises around beekeeping, thus proving farmers with added income especially during seasons in which cocoa production is diminished. But not only were farmers the recipients of additional income, local carpenters also reaped the benefits because they were tasked with constructing beehives and other equipment. The beekeeping enterprises have lessened risks of forest fires, as previously farmers would rely on fire to harvest honey by smoking bees out of their hives. This old tactic obviously posed a great risk for bushes and other surrounding trees to catch on fire with the possibility of starting a huge forest fire, potentially threatening area farms while eliminating an alarming number of bees that are crucial for pollinating the region’s cocoa trees. The outcome of newly harvested honey instead of dangerously smoking beehives was phenomenal, as farmers harvested nearly 2,000 pounds of honey during the first year this new enterprise was implemented, earning farmers more than 10 times the amount they would have made by harvesting cocoa for a year (Rainforest Alliance).

With Ghana being the second largest cocoa producer in the world and only eight percent of total land cover being closed or open canopy forests, it’s vitally important for farmers to continue progressing in safe, eco-friendly strategies that will build up Ghana’s environment and cease the harmful activities that cause deforestation. Organizations like Rainforest Alliance have elaborately set up the guidelines necessary for rebuilding back Ghana’s economy by providing farmers with the knowledge and ability to self govern in order to harvest cocoa without destroying the surrounding trees and homes of the animals that inhabit these forests. Hopefully, other organizations along with Rainforest Alliance will continue their support in helping Ghana become a thriving community.

5. Conclusion

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