wn ineiv igRural development andprimary production

Developing geography:Ghana

.t.ceittOt$ .

Preface

People 2Regional contrasts 4Maps 6

The North - seasonal diversity

Village life 8Seasons and health 10Farming 12

The South - land of plenty

The forests 18Gold 22Cocoa 26

International trade and investment 30

Futures 32

Introducing Ghana•

1. Land and life

The authors:Richard BeattieWilliam ElgarLucy KirkhamAmanda Nicoll

Roger RobinsonJeff SerfTim Thomas

CreditsCover: Petra Rohr-RouendaalBack cover: Henry BuglassSketchesForest Education Initiative: 18Richard Beattie: 24Maps and sketches Judy Lingardand Genprint.

PhotographsActionAid: 15Cadburys Ltd: 29aNigel Madhoo: 29bOthers were taken by members ofthe group as follows:

Richard: 19 b; 22 a & bBill: 4; 13; 26 bLucy: 3 a & b; 10 a & b; 11; 14;19 a & c; 21 b & c; 27 c; 30 aRoger: 22 el 23 d; 25 b, c & cl;26 a;30bJeff: 1;5 b; 9 a & b; 27 dTim: 5 d; 12 a & b; 16 a & b; 20 a;31 c

Sir Wilfred Martineau School, BirminghamJohn Willmott School, BirminghamBridgnorth Endowed School, ShropshireWey Valley School, Weymouth[formerly Archbishop Grimshaw School, Birmingham]DEC and University of Birmingham, School of EducationUniversity of WolverhamptonArchbishop Ilsley School, Birmingham

AcknowledgementsThis book is the result of a study visit to Ghana in 1992 where English and Ghanaiangeography teachers worked together.

Rural development and primary production

Economics -

Women in development - 9Youth - ,••

SymbolsOn some double pages important issues about different topics arise. These are in-

dicated at the top of the pages by symbols:

International links -

Environment -

This is the postcard I promised. We stayed3 days in Accra - very pleasant weather -lots of exciting and different places to see.We've spent most of the time in Kumasi.Many people speak English and everyoneis very interested in the photo's I tookaround school. Tomorrow, we're goingnorth - I'm going to Bolgatanga - others toTamale and Bawku. It's much drier andhotter there. Hope you've done the holidayhomework I set. See you in September -your ever loving geography teacher!!!

PS This card shows fishing boats nearCape Coast.

To class 9Y 10 August -Kumasi

Class 9Y

High Hill School

Banford Road

Ma ygreen

West Midlands

England

This book is about Ghana and itspeople. It has been written byteachers who visited Ghana for3 weeks as part of a long-termproject. Many Ghanaians helpedin many ways.

Some of the Ghanaians areteachers, but most are not. Theyhelped by talking about theirjobs, homes and everyday lives.Everyone in the project learnt alot. Now it is your turn.

with the help and co-operation of many people in Ghana, the thirty geography teachersat the Kumasi Workshop; and especially Kwesi Hutchful and Vivien Campbell.

Scott Sinclair designed and managed the project, the project leader was Jeff Serf, thepublication editor Roger Robinson, supported by members of the DEC staff.

This series, Developing Geography: Ghana contains three volumes:1. Land and life H 2. Kumasi and beyond 3. Issues and enquiry

Published by and available from Development Education CentreGillett Centre998 Bristol RoadSelly OakBirmingham B29 6LE

© Development Education Centre [Birmingham], 1995

ISBN 0 948838 35 3 1

IntroducingGhanaPeople

People

A. Mpoko and some of hisfamily in front of a decoratedwall in his compotoid

Seth's day

After morn ng service,we havemy bestlesson- science.I want togo touniversity and my parentshave to Next termI will beboardingand it will be less distraction,- no morework hard to pay the schoolfees, will cost even more. I am looking threemilewalksandfewer chorestoabout£35a year. forward to boardingbecausethere doaroundthehome!2

Families in GhanaSeth and Mpoko both live insmall rural settlements. Familycompounds are the usual kind ofhouse in Ghana.

Sethmale, aged 16 fromKokyerekrom near Bekwai

It's 9 pin and I'm finishing myhomework in the bedroom that Isharewith my cousins, Paul andSimon. Paul,Simon and theirtwosisters came to live with us whentheirfatherdied. Altogethernineofus live in thishouse.

Tonight I could not start myhomeworkstraightaway becauseIhad to weedthe vegetableplot. Wegrowcassava,plantains,cocoyams,chillipeppersand sugarcane. Thegardengives us a lot of ourfood.Whatwedon't grow,we buy at themarketin Bekwai. My motherhasa stall in the market. She is aseamstresswith eight apprentices.Myfatherisa teacherin Obuasi.Helivesawayfrom homefromMondayto Thursday. We lookforward toThursday night when he comeshomeand we havea specialmeal.

It's beena long day. I got up at 5a.m. and had teaand riceporridgefor breakfast,with bread. I thenwalkedthethreemilestotheSeventhDay Adventist Schoolin Bekwai.As soon as I met my bestfriend,Patrick,we starteddiscussingourfootballteam'schancesin the WestAfricanFootballUnioncompetition.WesupportKumasiAsanteKotoko.

Mpokomale, aged 11 from Komoko,near Bawku

Pus isme,Mpoko,standingbyourcompoundwith sonicofnutfamily,but mostofthemareworkingin thefields aroundthe compound. It isthe rainy seasonso we must keepourcropsfreefrom weeds. Wegrowmillet, sorghumand grozindnuts.Aroundourfieldswegrowa borderoffibreplants. Thestalksareusedtomakeclothand theleavesgo intosoup. We make good use of theplants. Thepaintingsthatyou canseeinmircompoiindweredonewithdyefrom the barkof thedawadawatree.

About twenty of us live in thiscompound. We all miss my elderbrother,Awini, who had to movesouth to try and get a job. Thechildrenhavetokeepthecompoundclean. Wekeepour animalsin theouter roomof the compound,so itcangetquitedusty. Oneofmyfirstjobs at 5 am is to sweep the yardand then wash the bowls that youcanseein thephotograph.

If thereis enough moneyand myfamily canspareme,I go toschool.It takesmeaboutanInneram/ilhalfto walk to the schoolat Gogo. Wehaverecentlyhitilta;mewroofon theschoolwith thehelpofAction Aid.I usedtogo to schoolwith am bestfriend Jerfo,but she has stoppedgoing. It'sashamebecauseIenjoyedplayingampe,aclappiriggame,withher. Weusedtosinganddance,too.

Now I am growing tipand thereisless tinwfor gamesand singing. Ithink I am 11 but nobody is surebecause we didn't have birthcertificateswhen I was born. Weonlyhavepartiesin thedry season,when we cannotfarm and we havefood and some money from theharvest. WecelebratebothMuslimandourtraditionalanimistreligiousfestivals.

ActivitiesFind Bekwai and Bawku on amap of Ghana. How far apartare they?

Look at the clock of Seth's day.[a] Draw a clock of your typicalday.[I)]Describe the similarities anddifferences between the two.

Imagine you have parachutedinto Komoko and you have noidea where you are. Write aconversation you might havewith Mpoko.

B. Seth [4thfrom the right] and hisfannly outs de the veranda 3

4.Use the photos to make a list ofthe differences you can seebetween the compounds andbetween the families.

Seth's house

Scale04rn

LivingMOM

Parents' bedroom

Boys' bedroorn

Girls' bedroom

IntroducingGhana Regionalcontrasts

There are also contrasts betweentown and country life, with bigtowns like Accra, Sekondi -Takoradi and Kumasi. There aresocial, cultural and ethnicdifferences as well, with manylanguages being spoken.

Later in this book pages 8 to 17take a detailed look at life andfarming in the north, then pages18 to 29 look at three importantproducts of the south - wood,gold and cocoa.

The maps on pages 6 and 7 showsome of the contrasts in Ghana,and here local people commenton the differences.

A. Clement,oneoflamesfamilyin thecompound

Some people think that Africa isjust one 'place' where everythingis the same. In fact even in asmall country like Ghana thereare great contrasts. For a start theclimate is much wetter in thesouth than in the north. In thesouth forests and all kinds ofcrops grow all year, whilstfarmers in the north have to haveirrigation schemes to growanything during the long dryseason.

JamesJames and his family werefeatured in a 1970's BBC videoshowing life in a familycompound in northern Ghana.Each day young James rode theseveral kilometres from hiscompound into nearbyBolgatanga where he wastraining as a chemist.

When we revisited his familycompound north of Bolga, nearthe Vea reservoir, James had longsince gone. His family told ushe had 'found green pastures' asan international trader.

He went first to Nigeria wherehe earned money buying shoesand ironware, but now he makeshis money as an exporter offoods in Kumasi. Business is sogood he can support his wife andfour children as well as sendingback enough money for thecompound to be almostcompletely rebuilt.

The family are proud that someof the buildings now have zincrooves, even though it makesthem very hot. They know theycould never have afforded suchluxury had James not movedaway.

PerceptionsRoy Ayariga of the Ministry ofAgriculture said: "People invillages of the south opt forelectricity before a well becausewater isn't a problemto them. Inthe north there'sa nine month dryseasonand thatwouldchangeyourpoint of view. They know waterisvitalasin thedroughtmonthsthereare nofruit and vegetablesso thechildrenget no v taminA."

Other comments:"Southgets priorityfor everythingbecauseit producesmostofGhana'sexports. Thenorthexportsnothing- just all the meatfor Ghana- yetwe'refacedwith dumping of cheapEuropeanbeef"

"AbediPete,ourstarfootballer,getsa lot of criticismfor sellingout bythe southern press. It would bedifferentif he didn't comefrom thenorth."

"Villages in the south preferelectricity to better roadsystemsbecause it gives light, powerforappliancesandattractsindustry."

ActivitiesWrite a conversation, or drawa cartoon, of people discussingtheir perceptions of the northand the south of Ghana.

Make up a similar discussionbetween people from the northand south of England.

B. South Ghana - raining in the tropicalforest area

C. North Ghana in the dry season

Regional contrasts

Activities1 The zinc rooves are not very

practical because they are toohot, but people still want them.al Why do you think that is?tidIn pairs: can you list anystatus symbols in England?

2. In pairs - one of you imagineyou are James's younger brotheror sister left behind in a northGhana compound and the otherthat you are James. Write aboutyour experiences and how youfeel. Who do you think wouldbe happier? D. North Ghana in the wet season

54

IntroducingGhana Mapsof Ghana

Maps of Ghana

Map 1. Population Map 2. Main cashcrops Map3. Naturalvegetation Map 4. Climate

People pang. km

En„ Log

1. Trace the vegetation map, putyour tracing over the climatemap. What kind of climate goeswith each type of vegetation?

2. Put your tracing over thepopulation map. In whatvegetation zones are the highestaverage densities of populationfound?

3. Find an atlas map of populationdensity in the U.K. Compare

the number and size of townsthe average density outside

the towns.

4. What other factors seem toinfluence populationdistribution besides climate andvegetation?

What are the main cash crops of[a] the North [b] the South?

What kinds of vegetation havebeen replaced by [a] cocoafarming [b] rice farming[c] bananas?

Look at photos B, C and D onpages 4 and 5. What featuresfrom the maps are shown oneach?

Describe a journey from Accravia Nkawkaw, Kumasi, Tamaleand Bolgatanga to Bawku. Thediary extracts will help, but usethe maps as well.

Accra to Kumasi - "Lush vegetation,with some big, big African trees.Stunning landscape against severalhundred feet of scarp slope."

Bolgatanga - "Whenever we walkpast, 7 a.m. or 10 p.m., there'ssomeone playing football,basketball, volleyball, something!"

Bolga - "For the fourth dayrunning, it promises to rain - thecloud builds up, a few drops fall,and just when you expect theheavens to open - nothing. A gooddownpour would clear the air andlower the temperature - oh, and itmight help the crops too!"

Bawku - "very, very, very hot - I'vejust had my third bucket wash.Mosquito net - turned lizard guard,here I come!"

Activities

7

What the maps meanMap 1. Population: the shadingshows the average densityoutside towns.

Map 2. Main cash crops: theseare crops which are sold, oftenfor consumption in the towns.

Map 3. Natural vegetation: thismap shows what vegetationwould be growing if farming andforestry were not taking place.Savanna is tropical grass.

Map 4. Climate: in general thesouth is wetter, with rain all year.The rest of the country has a dryseason while the Harmattan N.E.winds blow out of the SaharaDesert. The area that doesn't fitthis pattern is the drier zonearound Accra where the coldcurrent in the ocean makes itdifficult for the south winds topick up moisture.

6

On road from Accra - Kumasi - "Aswe travelled, the vegetation becamelush and in some places it lookedquite a jungle with trees, ferns andbanana plants forming a dense greenmass. We went past some lovelysandstone scarps which wereclothed in forest apart from a fewplaces where an expanse of ridgedrock shone out."

Inside Jachie Forest Reserve -"Inside there were lianas, hugebuttress roots and woop-woop-woop jungle noises!"

On road from Kumasi - Bawku -"The last bit from Bolga to Bawkuwas very beautiful in the eveninglight, with the mountains in thebackground behind the savannah.The landscape here is totallydifferent, with round huts, donkeys,cattle, huge skyscapes and all veryfresh with the recent rain."

Accra - "Kaneshi Market - abreathtaking spectacle. So manycolours, goods, movements, noises,smells, but mostly I was struck bythe sheer number of people. Wewere the only Whites we saw allmorning, but not hassled - mostGhanaians simply ignored us."

Accra - "The weather is almost cool,and there seems a constant breeze.But once the sun breaks through theclouds, the temperature risesquickly."

Road to Kumasi - "State transportbus - no overcrowding, clean, seatnumbers, efficiency - how nice to seea public transport system thatworks!"

Village life

TheNorth - seasonal diversityThe contrast between northern and southern Ghana is striking andit is worth studying each region separately in more detail.Generally the north is drier, has fewer people, less industry, poorercommunications, lower incomes and is more reliant on agriculturethan the south. 0 Round Fhatclied huuses

fl Corrugated root hotiees

ontours in feet

- — Seasonal ,,treanicVillage lifeThe majority of Ghana'spopulation live outside the maintowns, and most of those live incompounds. A compound is acollection of buildings around ayard or open space. A largecompound may house 30members of an extended family- aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters,cousins, parents andgrandparents. A Ghanaianvillage is a collection ofcompounds.

Nyarzee village[15 km north of Tamale]One of the compounds inNyarzee belongs to Moses, hisfamily, and his brother's family.Like all the compounds inNyarzee, the family landsurrounds the compound. Theykeep a few cattle, goats andchickens, and grow soya beans,maize. The land is the family'smain source of food and most ofthe produce is used to feed thefamily They have little to sell,and so earn little cash.

In the past, except for busy timessuch as harvest, men worked theland and women cooked,cleaned and looked after thechildren. Now there is awomen's development group inthe village. The women havecome together to educatethemselves and earn someincome. For example, shea nutsgrow in the area and the womenmake shea butter to use incooking and as a skin lotion.Shea butter is also used byEuropean cosmetic companies.8

Yorogo village[3 km north of Bolgatanga]Yorogo is made up of ninetyeight compounds, includingAlantele's. His family share fouracres of land with four othercompounds. Each compoundcontains about ten people. In thewet season there is much workto do, so men and women workin the fields growing groundnuts, maize, sorghumand millet. The family's goatsgraze where they can.

The land is the main provider forAlantele's family, but unlikeMoses', they have other sourcesof income. Alantele's compoundruns a small blacksmith's wherethey recycle metal from truckwheels into hoes, which they sellfor twenty pence in Bolgatangamarket. The hoes are then soldall over Ghana, and some areexported to Togo. The moneyearned has helped pay £35 forthe water pump on the new well.The new well serves all thecompounds of Yorogo.

In the wet season the men workin the fields from 4.00 a.m. until10.00 a.m. Then they blacksmithuntil 4.00 p.m. when they returnto the fields for another one totwo hours. The women work the

Activi tiesFind Tamale and Bolgatanga ona map. How far apart are they?

How many compounds arethere in Kalaraga? Describe thesite of the village.

Draw a simple plan of yourhouse at the scale of lcm to 25nn.How does it compare to acompound in Kalaraga?

4 Look at the photos ofcompounds on pages 2-4. L stthe different building mater alsand kinds of building in thenorth and south of Ghana.

same hours, but during theirbreak, they weave baskets. Ittakes a morning to weave abasket, or a hat, which can besold in the market and themoney used to buy stock cubesfor soup.

During the dry season most ofthe time is spent collecting wateror trying to find shade under thenearby baobab trees. At night,the family sleeps on the roofs ofthe compound to catch anybreeze. During the day, thefamily concentrates on basketweaving or making hoes.

5 In a group take on roles asmembers of either a small or alarge family Give the argumentsfor your size of family.

6 Compare Moses' compound tothat of Alantele. Think about size,building materials, number ofbuildings, use of space.

7 Why do you think the women ofNyarzee have formed adevelopment group? How canthey earn income? What wouldthey spend it on? How do themen react? How will the villagebenefit?

A. Alaale breakinga truck WheelhMahehoe.

Make a clock showing what thepeople of Alantele's compounddo on a normal day in the wetseason, and in the dry season.Compare this to Seth's onpage 2.

A small amount of rural aid ismade available. Which of thefollowing do you think Moseswould choose? What wouldAlantele choose? Why?

a] mechanical grain grinder;bl soya bean seeds;c] mechanical bellows;di efficient wood burning stove.

B. A compound near Bolgatangawith millet grain drying

9

A village near Tamale

BATH AREA

STOREVERANDAH

CHIEF'S HUTLIVING AREAS

MEN'S HUT

GOATS

Plan of Moses' compound

TheNorth- seasonaldiversity 9 £ Seasons and health

Seasons in Northern Ghana

Main seasons HOUM [Dry season] ,SEUG ,[Wetseason].Months Nov - Feb Feb - Mar April May - June July -Aug Aug - Sept

Common illnesses

Cam%measles,headache

CSM,measles

Measles,hoik,diarrhoea

Headaches

Colds, fever, fatigue

Social/economic acti rities

Funerals, Festivals Harvesting

Land preparation Collecting wood for fuel

Land prep. Sowing

Weeding Jtvesting

demands e,„„air ..•4. /Ail:4,,v.' :.:-„,,,..AAAIS1 .,

• , AllaVeatm,oalt iar4...„_ 1:451,6rNmeyt;;Indi.!

..... - ,....

/ 014

...4a.411.10n.a

DiseasesR.W4:i ,:.....;.. ,-,:•:`,:,;:-:.&:'i WW1*,.,\...NV `..:*.C...a,.k'.).‘ e.M.:..rt,W&% '.

Income `-

Outward migration

Rainfall pattern

t Cerebra-spinal meningitis

10 B. Veronicadiscussinghealthissues

All people are affected byclimate, but the people ofnorthern Ghana are affectedmore than most. The women ofSapeliga, a village 30 km fromBawku, have a calendar to showhow life changes with theseasons. Try Activity 1.

A. Wet seasonhoeng

In the far north east of Ghana"Seug” is the time when it rains,and the people have just threemonths to grow the food theyneed for the whole year.Sometimes the food does not lastuntil the next harvest. So duringthe next Seug, when they areworking hard in the fields,people will not have all theyneed to eat. The villagers call thistime of the year the Houm [TheHunger].

One person who sees howvillage life changes with theseasons is Veronica. She is thecommunity health mid wife.Her main jobs are helpingwomen give birth and teachingthe villagers about health issues.

Veronica trained in a modernhospital, but she is aware oftraditional medicines andtreatment. She works closelywith the older women of the areawhen she attends a birth. If thebirth is difficult, the mother mayhave to go to Bawku hospital.The journey by ambulance costs£5, which is too expensive formost families, and manymothers in labour travel toBawku by donkey cart.

After birth, the baby is carried onmother's back, and her extendedfamily is usually there to helpand give the ba by a ttention.Perhaps this is why Ghanaianbabies never seem to cry

During Houm babies cancontract diseases or becomemalnourished. The main babykiller is dehydration resultingfrom diarrhoea. In the UK, wetake oral rehydration salts [ORS]to treat this and these areavailable in Ghana. However,many babies vomit ORS becauseof the taste, and so Veronica tellsthe mother to give a sick babystrained rice water with salt andsugar added until "it tastes liketears".

UNICEF supplies vaccines forlocal children, and any motherwho can pay about 5 pence foreach injection. This money goesto equipping the health post. In1992,69% of babies received theirfull set of jabs. However, a babymay miss out because the motheris working in the fields duringSeug.

Veronica monitors babies'growth and gives each mother agrowth chart. She also giveshealth talks on such topics aspreventing malaria and personalhygiene.

Ghanaian women often have alot of children. This can affect themother's health and lead to afood shortage in the family.During Houm it is usually themother who goes without. InSapeliga, contraceptives are free,but less than 3% of families usethem.

Activities[a] Draw a calendar for your year -mark in the seasons, their mainfeatures, and how they affect you.[b] Compare your year and theeffect of the seasons with those inSapeliga.

In which months does [a] Seug,[b] Houm occur?

Fever is how the locals describemalaria, a disease carried bymosquitoes.[a]When does malaria mostfrequently occur?[b] Why at this time of year?

What other aspects of life areaffected by the seasons?

5. Look at photo B.Where is the meeting being

held?Who is attending the meeting?Why do you think both men

and women are there?What do you think Veronica

had to do to organise this meeting?

6. Look at Veronica's charts [C].Where would you have been onthis chart when you were bom?

7. Why is the advice section inpictures?

8. Design a chart about healthproblems in England.

C. Veronica'scharts 11

TheNorth- seasonaldiversity Fanning- thenorth

Farmingin the northIrrigationNorthern Ghana usually has rainbetween April and October,although in recent years it hasnot started until June and stillfinished in October. The rest ofthe year is dry. In northernGhana water is stored and thendistributed to the fields. This isknown as irrigation. Therewould be little farming in the dryseason without this.

A. IDA mapofIrrigationschemeat Bontanga

C. Moreirrigatedland,this timenearBolgatanga

Near Tamale is the BontangaIrrigation Scheme, one of thebiggest in Ghana. Here a damstores the water when it rainsduring the wet season, andreleases it during the driermonths through canals.

The Irrigation DevelopmentAuthority [IDA] controls thescheme.

Farmers rent land below the dam, but the IDA ploughs the fields at some cost to the farmer.

The dam can irrigate enoughland for about one thousandfarmers, and the land has to bestrictly allocated - try Activity 1.

Roy Ayariga works for theMinistry of Agriculture, and

knows a lot about irrigation.Here is an extract from aninterview with him.

"On the rented land, you can growrice, maize, soya beans, onions,peppers, tomatoes ... lots of crops.Selling the crops isn't too bad, butthereareproblems. Firstly, the rentis very high, and secondly, all thefarmers receive water at the sametime, so they harvest at the sametime. I've seen thirty trucks loadingup with tomatoes,readyfor the longjourney south. What do you thinkthat does to the price? And now,somefarmers have been told not togrow tomatoes, after years ofencouragement. Their land isinfected with a root eating insect.What are they to do?".

"So what do you think shouldhappen in the future Roy?".

"Much smaller irrigation schemes,based on single villages. Thecommunity askfor a small scheme,and are willing to support it withfood, fuel and some funds for thesurveyors and builders. Then eachvillage can control when the wateris released, crops harvested andsold".

"None of the big schemeproblems then".

"Any schememeansproblems... likewho's going to co-ordinate the 44village schemes already planned?What about the people who aren'thappy with the compensation fortheirflooded land? And we've gotone that will flood a localshrine".

Activities1.Who should get the first, second

and third options?a fanner who lives near the

reservoir;a 'town farmer' - a farmer

who does not live locally,butrents the land and then hirespeople to work it;

a fanner whose land wasflooded when the dam was built.

2. From the map and photo B ofirrigated land:

describe the field pattern -size and shape;

why is the land divided inthis way?[c]Work out how the water istransferred to the fields.

3. Besides irrigation water, howelse have locals benefited fromthe reservoir/darn?

4. Why are there so many townfarmers renting land below theBontanga dam?

5. Who has benefited most fromlarge schemes like Bontanga?

6. If Roy was asked "What are theadvantages of small schemesover big schemes?" What wouldhe say?

12 B.Farmertendinghis ricecrop 13

Farming- thenorth

Commercial farmingSome people in Northern Ghanagrow crops to sell. They arecommercial farmers. The villageof Tugu is near Tamale, and herefarmers grow rice. Some of therice is kept for food, and the restis sold to the Ghana FoodCorporation.

Tobe profitable, commercial ricefarming needs a large area ofland - much more than onefamily can manage. This type offarming also needs machinessuch as tractors, ploughs andharvesters. Tugu's short wetseason also creates problems - aspecial quick growing rice plantis needed.

Growing commercial rice canbring profits. It will also bringcosts.

The villagers find it difficult tobuy seeds, machinery, fertilizersetc. Banks will grant loans whichhave to be paid back, withinterest, after the harvest.

Here are the costs for growingone hectare of commercial rice.

Rent and water £86To plough the land £25To harrow and plantthe land £30To buy seed £17To buy fertilisers £54To buy herbicides £38To harvest crop £25

Total: £275

In a good year a hectare of ricecan produce 1000kg of rice. Thefarmer gets about £450 for this.

ActivitiesImagine you are a farmer fromTugu and you want to grow 20hectares of rice during the next wetseason. Working with two or threeother people prepare a businessplan to present to the NorthernRegion bank.

Think what information w 11thebank want to know?What about the sum you wish toborrow? What you intend tospend the money on? What do youthink is a fair rate of interest?When will you repay? How safe isthe bank's money? What securitycan you offer? What will you dowith any profits?

Imagine you are a representativeof the Northern Region bank.Working as a group again, wouldyou grant the farmers the loan?

Write a letter to the Tugu farmersexplaining your decision.

3.How much will the 20 hectares ofrice sell for in a supermarket inEngland?

Soil erosionSoil erosion is a problemeverywhere and northern Ghanais no exception. After the longhot dry season, the fields arebare. There is no vegetation toprotect the soil and hold soilparticles together. The light,sandy soil can be blown away bystrong winds and is easilywashed away by the first rains.

The soil is washed into pools andrivers. Some of the pools,designed to store rain for the dryseason, have filled up with soil.This is called silting up.

Once the soil is gone, and with itthe nutrients plants need,farming is difficult.

Geoffrey works at theGovernment Soil ResearchInstitute in Bawku. His job is tohelp the farmers reduce soilerosion. The farmers know thesoil is being removed, and thatthe rivers and pools are siltingup. Many farmers do not realisethat they may be increasing soilerosion by the way they managetheir land. Even those who doknow cannot always afford tochange what they do.

Geoffrey makes four suggestionsto the farmers:

don'tgrazeyourcattlein thebush- keepthemin your compound.

plant trees.leavethe stalksof your cropsinthegroundafterharvesting.

plant onionsor tomatoesduringthedry season.

For each of Geoffrey'ssuggestions, he can give at leastone reason. Local farmers cangive at least one objection!

tree roots hold the soil togetherand the leaves act like anumbrellato stop too much rainreachingtheground.cropswill protectthe soil in thedry season.treestakeseveralyearstoproducefuel orfruit.will thenewcropssell?Familieshave never planted during thedry season.stalksareneededforfuel as therearesofew treesleft.

food will haveto becollectedforcattlein thecompound.cattlehoovesloosenthesoil,andvegetationis eatenas the cattlegraze.stalks protect the soil and rotdown tosupplynutrients to thesoil.

ActivitiesDivide A-IT into "reasons" and"objections".

Match up each suggestion witha reason and an objection.

Geoffrey has to cover a largearea, and cannot hope to talk toevery farmer Design a posterthat he could use to explainsome of his ideas. Remembermany of the older farmers havenever attended school.

TheNorth - seasonaldiversity

14 A. Many tractorsarein useonfarms in theNorth 15

B. Strongwindscausingdust storm

TheNorth - seasonald vers ty 4- Farming- thenorth

A. Ploughingat Nyarzee

B. Visztmgvet injectinggoats

16

ProjectsWater, modern methods,markets and aid are vital issuesfor farmers in the north. Thesethree case sudies show somedifferent approaches.

Farming withoutirrigationJohn's compound is just outsideBolgatanga, and is within a fewhundred metres of the VeaReservoir, a large scale irrigationproject. He is one of the localfarmers who cannot afford torent irrigated land during the dryseason.

"In the wet season we growtraditional crops like millet andsorghumonourland,and tomatoes,soya,redpeppers,beansandcashewnuts. But thereissuchaglut, muchof it is left in thefields to rot. Youget 50p.for a boxof tomatoesin thewet seasonand£1.50at othertimesof the year if you can grownthem....andtogrow them you needwater.

We've survived the last few dryseasonsby sellingour livestock,butI've only got one goat and a fewchickensleft. If I try to sell now,who'sgoing to buy?

In the wet seasonwe haveplenty,but we have to be carefulbecausewithout irrigated land, we can'tgrowcropsin thedry season.In thewetseasonthere'snotenoughhandstoworkthefields. In thedryseason,there'stoomany mouths tofeed."

ActivitiesWhy does the price of tomatoesvary so much?

What stops John hiring extralabour to help during the busywet season?

Which season do you think Johnprefers? Why?

Back to bullocks atNyarzeeMoses and his brothers havetried farming with tractors. Theyliked the time and energy it

saved. But there were problemstoo. Nyarzee village is a longway from Tamale and no-one inthe village is a mechanic.

Neither Moses, or anyone else,

can afford to buy petrol for thetractor, let alone afford to buyone. In the photograph one ofMoses's brothers is ploughing asmall area of land near thevillage using a different methodof farming.

Initially the villagers werereluctant to use bullocks to pulltheir ploughs. But now theyrealise that this form oftechnology may be moreappropriate to their needs.

ActivitiesImagine you live in a village in theUpper West Region, and you readthe article in a newspapet Someof your friends have talked abouta well for the village. At presentall the water for your villagecomes from an open pool.

1. How can you persuade yourvillage that RA is the agency toapproach about the well? Makea list of the reasons.

2 Write a letter to Gani Tijaniasking him to meet you todiscuss a new well for yourvillage. In the letter you willneed to explain what you wantand why, and outline anyquestions you want him toanswer when he meets you.

3. Make a poster about farming innorthern Ghana to display in theschool foyer.[A "Seasons game" can be foundin Book 3.]

Rural aid to expand programme

Ambrose Dery, Chairman of theBolgatanga based Rural Aidproject, announced plans toextend to other regions.

"Aiming toimprovethelifeof ruralpeople,we have dug 400 wells inthreeyears"he said.

"We can continue to raise livingstandards in northern Ghana bymaintainingour recordof diggingmorewellsthanallotherprojectsputtogether."

Mr Dery, a well respectedsolicitor, added, "We have aproven record, and now privatecontractors are coming to us foradviceon welldigging".

Set up in the 1980's by anAnglican Church, RA is anexample of Ghanaians takingover a project from an outsidefunder.

RA's Project Manager, Gani

Tijani, explained how the projectinvolves people in their owndevelopment:

"We provide what the villagescannot-concrete,specialequipmentand technicalknowledge,and theyprovidethelabour.Weask themtopay £30, which is creditedto thevillage for any repairs on thehandpumpthat shouldbefitted toeachwell. The pump is a simpledesign,but helps the healthof thewholevillage."

RA also provide training for onevillager in the upkeep of the welland general water hygiene.

Mr Tijani continued, "Ifoutsidersgodirectlytothelocals,therecanbeproblems.Welistentovillagersandweunderstandtheirneeds. There'sno communications barrier".

Many villages lack a safe, reliablewater supply

Livestock farming has beenencouraged in several smallagricultural schemes supportedby the Presbyterian church.

ActivitiesThink carefully about whatadvantages this method may havefor Moses and his family

Why have the villagers stoppedusing machinery? Consider themaintenance and costs ofmachines.

In groups discuss why you thinkthe villagers may have regardedbullock ploughing as a 'stepbackwards' at first?

What do you think the term'Appropriate Technology' means?And why do you think small scalefarmers in Ghana are now usingthis form of technology again?

PLA SUCK ING-PurPs CAN T SUCK. WATER. LAPFuRTHERIHAN Al3OUT 6METALEs-DEEP we -LS HPNEIHE PuriP ATTHE 601701PusHINATHE WATERIAP. THE WEIL,IAT OFT4Em0mmTO THE PUMP MAKES IT HARDERv.: RC TDUSE, THE PUMP IL LESSACCESSI61..E. FOR rAINTENANCE.

TYPOTFEIEWTALILCICTOCSDTI E

NARROU TU6E UELL,DUE. 6Y A HAND

COAPLEkLEADICADVINONIERR

(SPUN CAN AU.C:ER .!

OUT 30,, A DAY).ecAttyNEERcROniCcNICSWEED

AUG Ells L. ROCK DRILLS.

AUGER 611

1V6E VJELL 5

PEOPLE SIT on)CAPSTAN TOADD uci &HT //

17

Theforests

Southern Ghana has hightemperatures all year and a veryshort dry season. In contrast tothe north the landscape is greenand vegetation lush. The naturalvegetation over much of the areawould be rain forest.

TheSouth - land of plentyThe area of Ghana is 238538 Km2

Area covered by rain forest:

Forests are disappearing

• Forest is cleared for farming.1900 88000 Km2 • Trees are cut down for timber.1950 42000 Km2 • Trees are cut down for fuel.

1980 19000 Km2 • Forests are destroyedby

1990 15000 Km2

mining.

A. Logs being loadednear Beinkai

C. Forestandfarming nearAdamso 19

Why are Ghana's remainingrain forests so important?

Rain forests are the home ofmany plants and animals.Many important productscome from the forest.Rain forests are important tothe people living there andtheir beliefs.Rain forests are only foundnear the equator.Forests protect the soil fromrain and wind eroding it.Forests are an importantcarbon bank and help toreduce global warming.Forests produce oxygen.

The rainforest18

ActivitiesOn a photocopy of page 18 writeeach reason, A-G, next to asuitable illustration.

Use cards to rank the reasons forthe rain forest's importance. Putthe most important at the top.

Why might the following groupsof people have an interest inGhana's rain forests?

a group of European biologistsa family living in a Ghanaianforest

- a timber merchant living inAccra, the capital city of Ghanaa medical researcher in Nigeria

- your class.

Present the figures on page 18 asa graph or diagram to showwhat is happening to the forestsin Ghana.

Which groups of people do youthink would suffer most if theforests disappeared and why?

Why would just stopping themining, farming, timber tradeand collection of fuel causeproblems for the people ofGhana?

B. Open castgold mining at Sansu

TheSouth- landofplenty Theforest

Owusu

I'm theforestguardand it's my jobtoprotecttheforestfrom trespassersand hunters. We're lucky to stillhavealocalforest....mostoftheothervillageshaven't. So our villageisspecial andsoisourforestbecausewe bury ourdeadhere. It's sacred.

Wesawtheforestgettingsmalleraspeopleclearedmoreforfarming. Soin 1988 we decided to make thevillagea reserve. Now no onecanenter or take anything from theforest without permissionfrom thecommittee.Thecommitteeiselectedby the villagersand is madeup ofeight local people, including thechief,anda localbiologist.

It's worked!Since1988noneof theforesthasbeendestroyed.

We have had helpfrom GACON.Theygaveus adviceandboughtmyuniform. That's importantbecausepeople recogniseme and have toanswer if I ask them what they'redoing in theforest. Peoplestill goto theforest but we makea smallcharge. The cashwe've raisedhasbeenusedtohelpprovideelectricitypolesin thevillage.

[GACON = Ghanaian Associationfor Conservation of Nature, a smallvoluntary organisation.]

4. Design a Forestry Departmentposter to encourage people toprotect their forest areas andplant new trees.

B.FanningplotsnearJachie

Jachie ForestGhana's forests are underpressure, and many Ghanaiansbelieve action is needed if theforests are to survive. TheForestry Department managesthe forests, helping to controllogging. However, the ForestryOfficers find it difficult to makesure the timber companies andthe individual chainsaw cutterskeep to the law. If they catchsomeone illegally choppingtrees, the fine is often not enoughto stop them doing it again. TheOfficersalso encourage people toplant and care for the localforests. They are very happywith the people of Jachie.

Jachie is a small village 21kmfrom Kumasi [Ashanti Region].The people of Jachie decided toprotect what was left of the forestnear their village. Owusu livesin the village and plays animportant part in saving the localforest.

Activities1. Act out the committee meeting

as a role play. Should people beallowed to collect dead wood?What decision does thecommittee meeting come to?

The committee is responsible formanaging the forest in the bestinterests of the village. Thismeans keeping the foresthealthy,with as many different plantsand animals [including insects]as possible surviving. Noteveryone agrees on what thatmeans. Committee meetingsoften have to settledisagreements.

Since 1988 no dead wood hasbeen removed from the forest.Now some of the villages wantto use dead wood as fuel. Thecommittee has to meet to makea decision.

On the opposite page are theviews of eight people - you canwrite similar statements forOwusu.

Carefully read all the statements.Select one you agree with andone you disagree with andexplain why.

Imagine Jachie Forest in 20 yearstime. What do you think it willbe like?

John - farmer

I think that we should collect thedeadwood,but it shouldgo to thosewhoneedit most. A groupcouldgointo theforestand collectthe woodwinch could then bedistributedtothepoorerfamilies.

Afia - mother and farmer

Not everyonecanaffordelectricity.We needthedeadwoodfor heatingin the coolnights andfor cooking.Most ofourfood needsto becookedto makeit safeand nutritious.

Village Chief

Weshouldrespecttheburialgroundofourancestorsand notgo into theforest- why can't thepeopleuse theelectricity that we have taken thetroubleofgettingfor ourvillage?

Paul - farmer

I don't reallycareabout the deadwood. My big problem is theanimalswhichlivein theforest thataredamagingmy crops. If peoplego in to collect dead wood theyshouldalsohunt theanimals.

Daud - teacher

We still don't know what is in ourforest. We needtofinish recordingall the plants and animals in theforest beforewe takeany decisionswhichmayaffectwhatwestilldon'tunderstand.

Ntim - trader in Kumasi

Thedeadwoodshouldbe collectedand soldin the village. Themoneythat is raisedshouldbeusedto lookafter theforest reserveand payforotherdevelopmentprojectssuchasthenew school.

Biologist from Kumasi

Deadwoodis vitalfor theforest. Itisastagein thenaturalcyclewhichreturnsgoodnessto the soil. It isalsowherefungi and insectslive. Ithink thatit is besttoleavethedeadwoodalone.

Kojo - a village entrepreneur

I want tocollectthedeadwood andtake it into Kumasi to sell. I cancatchthedaily tro-tro[bus]- noneoftheothervillageshavegotaforest.Weshoulduseours tomakeusricherand stop young peopleleavingthevillage.

A. Jachieforestguard

C. Logging outside Jachiereserve

2120

The South - land of plenty (Sa3- Gold mining

A. Taxi park near main street in Olmasi

B. Level crossing and shaft n ne 50nmfrom town centre.

Gold miningObuasi, the miningtown - impressions

"As we walked through the townfrom the bus it seemeda squalidplace. The streets unpaved, pot-holed and dusty, sewers open,ditchesfull and foul, shared waterpumps, housing crowded."

Western visitor, first impression

"We earna very goodwageworkingfor the mining company. And weget hospital treatment, schoolsforour children and some excellentleisurefacilities. If you're lucky youcan get a conmany hollse with allmod cons.-

Obuasi gold m ner

"We don't benefit somuchfrom themine. Our housing is poor, ourroads in bad condition, and we getthe pollution."

Local resident

"I camefrom the North. I want ajob with the mining conipany, they

give good money. But too many ofus are going for eachjob. You'vegot to have a 'friend' inside. I'mhelping run myfriend's private taxinow."

18 year old unemployed migrant

C. Company housing near Sansu open cast mine and waste heaps.

Company housing has electricity, piped water, mains sewerageand is of a high

standard. Dust monitor in front.22

The Ashanti Goldfieldsat ObuasiGold is a scarce resource; evenwhere it is found it is usuallyonly 3 or 4 grams per ton of therock, and very expensive toextract. The metal is soft andattractive and makes goodjewellery. Ingots of gold are usedas reserves of 'money' that willnot lose its value.

About 10,000people work for theAshanti Goldfields Corporation[AGC[. Most of the gold minedat Obuasi is sold abroad. In 1992650,000 ounces were producedfrom over 5 million tonnes ofgold bearing rock. This was soldfor over £173 million [about 17%of Ghana's foreign earnings]. Ofthis £38 million were profits aftertax for AGC.

MINING

41111111tse cktonnes1N21

Open-cast mining

Sha t mining10 m tonnes of low

grade oreI 2km 01 mnentm to lqg

I 1m tonnes of highgradeore

Sansu oxide plant 1outside Obuasi

131%1

[-PROCESSING_1

VW?, te total gold prckleced each year]

S ill sonne gold in waste

Tailing treatment plant at dams above Obuasi

Il2Hk.a

Nkunces of gold

produced in 1992

SALES/EXPORTS

Pampora treatment plant in Obuasi town

Gold produc on at Obuasi

Activities1. Choose a photo [A - D] to go

with each quotation from peoplein Obuasi.

2.Look at the diagram of goldproduction at Obuasi.

What treatment plants areused to refine shaft-mined gold?

What to refine open-cast?What proportion of

production comes from open-cast mining?

3.This small area produces a lot ofwealth and many people arewell off as a result. Does Obuasiseem to be a wealthy town?Should it be?

4.In each of the photographs ofObuasi, what improvementsmight be made using the profitsfrom gold mining?

D. Obuasi marketplace- new stalls being built by the mining company. In theforeground charcoal is being made.

The charcoal burners live in the huts. 23

The South - land of plenty

Gold and the environment

4!,

c---

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,-.

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vrIri,c----1,P,---- - -

GM

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i

A. Sketch nf Oliteasiii the 1989;

+ Gold mining

Arsenic recovery plant The new .5 million plant was

opened in 1991 and extracts the arsenic used in the gold extraction process beforeit

goes up the smoke stack.

Activity1. Put the labels in the right places

around the sketch of Obuasi inthe 1980's.

2. Use the photos and text to listthe improvements that havetaken place.

3. Say how each improvementmentioned on this page willchange the 1980 situationdescribed on page 24.

4. Imagine you live in Obuasi - what are the good and badthings about it if you are:

a mineran AGC managera market tradera mother of a young family at

the wellthe researcher in the lab.

5. The company has changed andimproved its policy on theenvironment since 1980's. Hereare some reasons - which do youthink are most important andwhy?

People in the towncomplained about dust andsmoke.

People in local villagescomplained about pollutedwater supply.

The directors wanted to sellshares and get investment fromthe international financial worldwho insist on highenvironmental standards.

People around the world arebecoming more concerned aboutpollution.

25

The 1980sThis is an environmental disasterarea by any standards. It isprobably a social disaster. Wheredo you start?

The atmosphere is polluted witharsenic, sulphur and dust.Vegetation has been killed byemissions from the roastingprocess.

Spoil tips and tailing pondsbehind darns contain poisonousmaterial from the past, and safeinert chemicals more recently.

The landscape is gullied andscarred by open-cast mining.

The water is polluted by cyanidefrom the modern processes. Fishare dead or poisonous, thoughthe river is clear again 30kmdownstream. Villages have hadtheir water supplies poisoned.24

Labels for arrows

Arsenic and sulphur pollution from refinery

Dust and noise from open cast mining

Barren hill tops - vegetation killed by arsenic

and sulphuric acid

Sha ft mining Heavy machinery working

all day, safety problems

Disease and lung problems

Spoil heaps

Water poisoned by cyanide and sediment running

from the processing plant and tailing dams

The 1990sSince 1990 AGC has had a soundenvironment policy, struggling toretrieve 100 years of devastation.

B. New oxide plantThe new oxide plantprocessesgold ore butrecycles the cyanide usedso that much lessgets outinto the environment.

C. Laboratory The new environmental

laboratoryenables monitoring of workers'

health and localair and water quality.

D. Well50 tube wells have been sunk for villages wheretheir localwater supply has been contaminated.

Other AGC activities-Safety at work, e.g. dust monitoring, has reduced accidents from 150to 30 a week. -Help with town facilities, e.g. school, marketstalls, streetlighting, landfill site for rubbish, water for dust dampening down.

The South - land of plenty ie 3- Cocoa

A. Arthur's house in Kumasi

B. John and his brother making chairs in Kumasi26

Winners and losers

ArthurThis house is like many inKumasi that have seen betterdays. It was built in 1948 by acocoa farmer from Berekum,about 150km away. Manyfarmers used their wealth tobuild fine houses.

The farmer built nine houses - hehad five wives and 30 children -and although he never went toschool, he was a wealthy farmerand made sure each of hischildren did.

One of his sons, Arthur, lives inthe house and he plans torenovate it. His problem is thecost. Arthur is a pharmacist,with two shops in Kumasi, buthe says it will not be easy to findthe £6,000needed to do the work.

AwereAwere is a farmer and lives in avillage near Kumasi. He grows10 hectares of cocoa close to thevillage, as well as different typesof vegetables.

1992 was the first year hereceived what he thinks is a fairprice for cocoa - about £300 for atonne. Some farmers 'smuggle'their cocoa over the border toIvory Coast where they get twiceas much. The price on the worldmarket was about £900 pertonne.

"Togrow cocoa,I needfertiliser andinsecticide. Recently thegovernment cut the cost ofinsecticidefrom £2.60 to i1.50."

"It's still too ldgh", says Awere,"El would befairer. Every acrehasto be sprayed liven times a year tostopgrubs eating the pods.

I don't work on my cocoaland. Iemployfour locals to tend,weedandharvest. I get two thirds and theyget a third. Each hectareproducesover 5 tonnesper year, so the wholecropsellsfor over£15,000eachyear

Thefertile soil hasattracted a lot ofmigrants to the village, and it ismuch bigger and has morefacilitiesthan when I went to school."

AdamsoThe people of Adamso villagehave sold the rights to the treeson their land to a loggingcompany. Whcn the companyremoves the trees, cocoa bushesare destroyed also. The villagerswant the company to make anew road and repair the villageschool as extra compensation forlost income. The loggingcompany is threatening to moveelsewhere unless the villagers co-opera te and stop makingrequests.

D. Awere and one of las cocoatrees

Activities1. The consumer's life is also

affected by chocolate. Write astatement about yourself as achocolate consumer. How muchchocolate do you eat? Howmuch should you eat? Wouldyour money be better spentelsewhere? Are you influencedby chocolate advertising?

2 Carefully read the informationabout cocoa winners and losers -including your own statement asa chocolate consumer. Who doyou think has gained most fromcocoa, and who has gained least?Explain your answer.

3. Take each of the people in turnand explain how you think theywould be affected by:

the British governmentincreasing VAT on chocolate;

a rapid increase in the priceof insecticides;

a bumper cocoa harvest in allcocoa producing countries;

the discovery of a cheap,synthetic cocoa substitute;

a claim in the world pressthat intelligence is directlyrelated to chocolateconsumption.

CocoaCocoa is still the most important farm crop and export in Ghana.Here are some of the people and places that it has influenced.

JohnJohn lost his cocoa farm in a bushfire in 1983. He received nocompensation and so he movedto Kumasi. John and his brotherPeter make furniture outsidetheir home. They use nylon cordfrom Korea and weave it on tometal frames. A table and fourchairs cost £20. John wants toearn enough money to return tococoa farming.

JimJim Baker, 29, has worked at thechocolate factory in Englandsince he left school. "learn agoodwage here, but I don't like the slnftwork. It means I spend less timewith my family. I can't complainreally. Lots of oar friends have losttheir jobs, but people always eatchocolate and the company makesbigger profits every year, and that'sreflected in my wage packet. Mydaughters think thebestthing aboutmy job is thefactory shop. We buychocolateat a lower price than you." C. Adamso

27

The South - land of plenty Cocoa

Cocoa - Chocolate tradeWho gets what? Where?

Every year we in the U.K. eat anaverage of 7kg of chocolate each.Cocoa is the most importantingredient of chocolate and webuy most of it from Ghana.

The diagram shows whathappens to each £1 you spend onchocol ate.

At each stage remember the money is either shared between people who work, or pays for

A. Dintribution from the factory in Birmingham is CI7C1IsiP'

Cost of living and wages 1994

One portion of rice

Loaf of bread

Coach journey 250km

Meal in cafe

Bottle of beer

75gm bar of chocolate

I litre of petrol

Wages [per month]

Bus driver

Young teacher

Ghana

lOp

25p

£2

33p

33p

27p

27p

LBO

£50

England

40p

70p

£7.50

£2.50

£1.50

80p

50p

£1,140

,000

B. Hundreds of shopkeepersmaid_part of their lindthoodfrom chocolate

energy raw materials, buildings,vehicles, communications etc.Also the shareholders, who lendmoney tor all this activity at eachstage, expect some interest ontheir money.

Brainstorm: Resources needed by the cocoa farmer

soil equipment

shade fertilizers

rain fungicide

seeds pesticide

land buildings

rent raw materials

knowledge fac tories

capital energy

energy chemicals

labour education

homes schools

food investors

Activities1 The people and resources

needed by the cocoa farmer arelisted on this page. Look at thesymbols by each of the otherstages and make a list for each.How far can you go back in thechain?

2. The number of people sharingthe money at each stage varies.For instance there are thousandsof shopkeepers each taking avery small part of the 28p. Tryto decide which stages have themost people getting a share. Dothey have other ways to getmoney besides the cocoa/chocolate industry?

3 Labour and wages are a veryimportant cost at all stages.Look at the table comparingGhana and the U.K. Who isbetter off with a pound in herpurse, someone in the U.K. or inGhana?

4. Bearing in mind your work sofar, do you think the money forchocolate is shared out fairly ornot?

28

Who gets the you spend on chocolate?

JcLory

\

I crestn

chippit „

I dhOl11-

1 0.1d Ll';111spOrt

\ ledia

3 72

6p

1p

7p

£1.00

28p

33p

Distribution, advertisin selling

171/2p

U.K. factory

4p

Making, wrapping, packaging

Milk, sugar, flavours, emulsifyers

resources

29

Internatonaltradeand investment

International trade andinvestmentAs in every country, whathappens in Ghana is stronglyinfluenced by forces in the restof the world.

International trade andinvestment from abroad areimportant for the quality of lifeof many people in Ghana andelsewhere, as you have seen inthe section about cocoa.

Ghana borrows from foreign andinternational banks to funddevelopment, and must earnforeign exchange money byselling exports so that loans andinterest can be paid back andextra imports purchased.

These pages discuss some of theinternational links in theproduction of cocoa, gold, timberand shea nuts.

Farmers are at the mercy of

International price of cocoabeans:1985 £1,500 for 1 tonne1993 £900 for 1 tonne

The international exchange ratefor Ghanaian money:1985 £1 for 100 cedis1993 £1 for 1,000 cedis

The value of the cedi in Ghana 100 cedis in 1985 would buy the same goods as 300 cedis in 1993.

international economics

Can you do this?The Ghanaian governmentsells 1 tonne of cocoa beans in1985.How many cedis does it get?

It sells 1 tonne in 1993, howmany cedis does it get?

When it spends its cedis doesit get more goods and servicesfor its cocoa in 1985 or in 1993?

Shea nut butterThe industrial countries of theworld buy most of the primaryproducts like cocoa, gold andtimber that are sold on the worldmarkets. But the links between,say, the Ghanaian cocoa farmerand the chocolate eater are notalways simple.

Sometimes a primary product issold eleven times before itreaches the shops in Britain. Thatmeans eleven lots of costs andeleven lots of profit.

Shea nuts grow wild in Ghana.They can be made into shea nutbutter which is used for cooking,or as a skin care cream. Womenin northern Ghana sell shea nutbutter in their local markets forabout 60p per kilo.

The Body Shop, a Britishcompany that has shops in manyof our towns, uses shea nutbutter in some of its cosmeticproducts. The Body Shop paysabout E4 per kilo on the worldmarket.

The Body Shop has recentlyagreed to buy all its shea nutbutter from a co-operative of twovillages outside Tamale. Thewomen, with the help of U.N.funding and appropriatemachinery from theIntermediate TechnologyTransfer Unit [based in Kumasiand Tamale], have developedmore efficient ways ofprocessing the nuts into butter.

The Body Shop has agreed topay the women the world pricefor shea nut butter.

ActivitiesWhat advantages does the BodyShop contract have for the sheanut farmers?

How will the contract affectGhanaians who wish to buyshea nuts or butter in themarkets around Tamale?

Why do you think the BodyShop has signed this deal?

Do you think the deal hasanything to offer Body Shopcustomers in the UK?

C. Boilingsheanutsfor oil

GoldBritish money has partly paid fordevelopments in the AshantiGoldfield since 1897. Since 1972the Ghanaian government hasowned 55% of the gold miningcompany and the British financemultinational, Lonrho, has therest. They also share the profits- £70,000,000 in 1993. In 1994 theGhanaian government sold off aquarter of their shares on thestockmarkets. Now everyonecan see how valuable Ashantishares are on stock exchangesaround the world. As a result thevalue of shares in Lonrho rose.Lonrho shareholders, mainlyBritish and German, foundthemselves millions of poundsbetter off overnight.

ActivitiesHow do profits in gold comparewith Ghana's total internationaltrade and finance?

Is it fair that Lonrhoshareholders should make extraprofit?

A. Logsleavingtheforest nearBekwai

B.Sawmillin Kumasi30

Timber

tttt

Look at the diagram and inyour own words describewhat happens to treesfelled in Ghana's forests.

Make a list of who benefitsand who loses from thisindustry.

Ghana's annual timber production

1,200,000 cubic metres felled - manyby local chain-saw operators; nlany

by large timber companies owned by

Lebanese business men

1,000,000 cubic metres processedin Ghana at 30 integrated lactodes

200,000 cubic metreshigh quality veneer,plywood and lumberexported

worth flitIrn, mainly to Japan,Europe and the U.S.A.

tritithuh li

Ghana's finances

IMF loans 1983-93 International debtInterest and repaymentsGNP total per annumGNP per person per annum

GNP increase p.a. average

£800m

£2,000m [UK £270,000m]£140m per annum

£4,100m [UK £400,000m]£270

30/0

Ghana's Trade [19931

Main exports £millionsGold 301Cocoa 187Timber 102Electricity 46Manganese 9Bauxite 5

Total £600 million

Main importsRaw materials, machinery, transport equipment, petroleum, food.

Total £900 million

31

Futures

32

FuturesWhat will happen in Ghana inthe future is very uncertain.Events will be influenced byindividuals and communities aswell as by international andglobal forces. And governments'policy decisions will make adifference.

Here you are asked to lookintothe future and suggest somepolicy decisions for theGhanaian government.Afterwards you can do a similarthing for the British government!

ActivityDiscuss the alternativessuggested in each of the sixboxes [A-F]with a group.

Choose [a] or [b] in each as thepolicy you think the Ghanaiangovernment should follow.

Look at the key sheet and addup the score for yoursuggestions.

Page 32 shows an artist'simpressions of possible futures.If you scored 6-10points look atthe top picture; if you scored 11-18look at the bottom one. Whatdo you like and dislike about thefuture you have chosen?

5.No doubt the future will besomewhere between the twopictures, but it can beinfluenced. Bywhom?

Key sheet

A [a]3 [b]1

B [a] 3 [b]1

C [a]1 [b]3

D [a] 3 [b] 1

E [a]1 [b] 3

F [a]1 [b] 3

A Environment

Sell more wood and gold to get money to providehealth and education services.

Conserve raw materials and preserve the naturalenvironment for future generations.

B Tourism

Build European-style holiday resorts.

Limit the number of tourists and concentrate oncultural interest holidays in traditional villages.

C Urban development

Develop low density small towns with electricity,good transport and local employment.

Build densely populated large cities with all modernfacilities.

D Farming

Create large plantations using mechanised methods.

Encourage small holdings and self-sufficiency

E Population

Restrict population growth through health educationand encourage higher education.

Encourage population growth and basic educationto provide a large labour force.

F International links

Tax foreign firms and keep industry Ghanaian owned.

Invite foreign firms to invest and provide incentivesto attract foreign businesses.

33

Bolgatanga

Height of land above sea level

I. 500-1000 metres

200-500 metres

0-200 metres

812A Spot height in metres

Main mad

9 50 100 150km