- University: University of Copenhagen
- Place of defence: Copenhagen
- Keywords: Small-scale gold mining, Cocoa, Land tenure, Rural livelihoods, Ghana
Abstract
Artisanal or small-scale gold mining (ASM) poses an increasingly urgent challenge to the sustainability of cocoa production in Ghana’s Western Region. This paper investigates the drivers of land use change in cocoa-growing areas, focusing on the interplay between environmental pressures, shifts in institutional authority, and evolving livelihood strategies. Using a conceptual framework that integrates social-ecological systems (SES) resilience theory with Lund’s (2024) regimes of possession and cross-scalar institutional analysis, the research explores how changes in land rights and governance are reshaping landscapes and reinforcing, or creating, feedback loops that threaten long-term agricultural viability. While these dynamics risk undermining cocoa supply and farmer security, the study also identifies system elements – such as tenure arrangements and farmer agency – that could be strengthened to support more equitable and resilient outcomes. Understanding how power, rights, and environmental feedbacks interact is essential for those seeking to stabilise cocoa production systems while enhancing farmers’ livelihoods. The framework presented here offers a practical tool for identifying leverage points in similar frontier contexts and informing interventions that align environmental sustainability with social equity.
