Environmental Considerations of Alternative Livelihoods for Women in Cocoa and Shea Communities in Ghana

Abstract

Women in cocoa and shea communities have traditionally relied on the extraction of environmental resources for their livelihoods. Due to climatic, economic and social variabilities however, the traditional sources are no longer able to sustain their households and as a result, women are gradually up taking some alternative livelihood sources particularly during offseason. This study explored the effect of such alternative livelihood sources in the cocoa and shea communities on the physical environment. A case study design was employed for the study. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were the main means for obtaining the requisite data from 131 respondents; 88.7% of whom were women drawn from ten communities in three regions in five geographic districts in Ghana. The study revealed that about eighteen alternative livelihood sources pursued by women were key in providing the needs of most households and their effect on the physical environment was negligible. The exceptions were vegetable cultivation, guinea fowl rearing and dawadawa processing in some communities which recorded appreciable negative effect largely due to poor management practices. The study recommended that, to improve and sustain the quality of the environment, there was the need for proper waste disposal practices and the enforcement of policies and laws that prohibit the use of pesticides and other harmful chemicals used in the alternative livelihood activities.