Impact of jatropha production on access to land,food security and livelihoods in the Yendi district of Ghana

Abstract

The research examined the impacts of commercial large-scale production of jatropha for biofuel and its effects on poor people’s access to land, food security and their livelihoods in four villages (Jimle, Kpachaa, Chegu and Kpalkore) in the Yendi district of the northern region of Ghana. In this area, a Biofuel Company has acquired about 15000 hectares of land for the production of jatropha. A total of eighty household heads, consisting of twenty from each village, were interviewed in order to obtain information about the positive and negative impacts of the project on their livelihoods. In addition, the local chiefs, the management of the biofuel company and some workers were also interviewed. A livelihood security framework was used as a basis for analysing how jatropha production could strengthen or weaken the physical, human, financial, social and natural assets of the people in the face of external shocks. The findings of the research were two-fold. First, it indicated that most of the people lost their farmlands to the jatropha project and this has negatively affected their farming and other land resource-related activities and hence their incomes and livelihoods. Secondly, the findings also showed that the company has generated employment for some of the people which has resulted in an increase in their incomes and improvement in their livelihoods. It has also provided some facilities such as dams, milling machine and a local clinic which has also improved their livelihoods to some extent. It was realised from the findings that jatropha production could be used as a tool for rural development if the traditional land tenure systems of local communities are respected and the local farmers are involved in the project. However, if the issue of land acquisition by foreign companies for biofuel production is not handled with care, it could deprive local communities and many poor people of their farmlands which could eventually lead to loss of livelihoods and food insecurity.