Ghana’s cocoa industry is in danger from illegal gold mining, as farmers and experts urge the government to strengthen safeguards against this illicit activity.

Production is on the decline in the West African nation, which is the second-largest producer of cocoa in the world and earns almost two billion dollars in foreign exchange annually. Illegal gold mining, or “Galamsey,” has caused a 50% decrease in cocoa production over the last three years. Farmers are also taking the brunt of this.

“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 dirty water from the Galamsey pits, and you cannot go in there, so you have to abandon the farm. There are two things, so when it comes to Galamsey, COCOBOD cannot address it. 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 expert cautioned that cocoa crops have infections and stunted growth due to pollutants from contaminated water bodies generated by unlawful gold mining.

They fear that failure to address the issue directly could result in a fall in Ghana’s cocoa earnings.

Source: African Agribusiness