Land-use intensification and its sustainability: A full-sun cocoa farming system and tree plantations in southwestern Ghana

Abstract

The sustainability of intensive land use that was recently introduced to southwestern Ghana is discussed, based on field observations and interviews within a forestry project. Cocoa, a major crop in Ghana, was traditionally cultivated under natural shade trees, forming a forest-like landscape. However, due to land shortage and the introduction of modern farming systems, these shade trees now tend to be removed from the cocoa farms, leaving a high-input full-sun farming system, which is less sustainable. Moreover, a recent trend toward tree plantations is growing especially in areas damaged by wildfires. While this will increase the timber resources and improve farmers, livelihoods in some cases, the negative impacts include a decrease in biodiversity and an increase in land conflicts. To secure the sustainability of land use, forest resources should be more integrated into farming systems. The government should strengthen the extension services and improve administrative regulations. At the field level, the planting of shade trees and small-scale plantations by farmers should be promoted, and the land tenure issues resulting from tree plantations should be monitored.