EVALUATING THE EFFECTS OF ILLEGAL MINING ON COCOA PRODUCTION AND QUALITY IN GHANA'S AMANSIE WEST DISTRICT IN THE ASHANTI REGION

Author Name: 1. Kwadwo Asante-Berchie 2. Benjamin Boateng

Volume/Issue: 02/01

Country: Ghana

DOI NO.: 08.2020-25662434 DOI Link: https://www.doi-ds.org/doilink/07.2021-74778723/UIJIR

Affiliation:

1. PhD Fellow Tutor Department of Education Department of Technical and Vocational Education- Nusrat Jahan Ahmadiyya College of Education P. O. Box 71- Wa, Upper West Region of Ghana.
2. PhD Fellow and Tutor Department of Social Sciences, Nusrat Jahan Ahmadiyya College of Education P. O. Box 71- Wa, Upper West Region of Ghana.

ABSTRACT

Mining is a significant economic contributor in mineral-rich developing countries. It makes a sizable contribution to the nation's Gross Domestic Product. Illegal mining is typically carried out by removing all the top soil that supports agriculture before mining the highly sought-after minerals. This results in significant damage and effects, not only on the land, but also on the water and, at times, on the air. Illegal mining contributes to biodiversity loss, land degradation, and soil depletion of vital nutrients and organic matter. Agriculture is a significant source of employment in the majority of developing nations, including Ghana. Cocoa is a significant cash crop grown on agriculturally productive grounds, but mining competes with cocoa not just for land, but also for the loss of arable ground. Mining's benefits and costs have become a point of contention. The survey discovered that mining activities had deprived farmers of good and stable land. Residents of these settlements in Ghana's Ashanti Region's Amanisie West District have faced difficulties as a result of the degradation of agricultural areas, standing forests, and rivers. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of illegal mining on cocoa output and quality in the Amansie West District. Using structured questionnaires and field observations, data on the impact of illegal mining in relation to the presence of heavy metals was acquired. The study was performed to ascertain the opinions of cocoa farmers in the district's three (3) agricultural zones on the actions of illegal miners vying for the same land on which they farm or aspire to farm.

Key words: Illegal Mining, Cocoa Production, Quality, Developing countries.