Ghanaian Youth not interested in Plantation Development

Ghanaian Youth not interested in Plantation Development

Ghana - 19 October, 2015

Only eight percent of the youth within the age range of 26 to 35 years living in forest fringe communities are involved in any form of tree plantation activities, according to a research conducted by Tropenbos International (TBI) Ghana under its Landscape Restoration Project (LRP).

In addition, only 19 percent of people in those communities aged between 36 to 45 years are involved in any form of tree plantation activity while the remaining 73 percent of people engaged in tree plantation development fall within an age range of 46 to 65 years old and above.

The results of the research which was conducted in 20 communities in the Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Central and Volta Regions of Ghana where plantation development is actively being pursued as a livelihood indicates that the youth have no interest in embracing livelihoods in tree plantation development and thus paints a bleak picture for the future of tree plantation development.

The research was commissioned under the LRP with the aim of assessing the effectiveness of incentive systems implemented by the Government of Ghana in the past in promoting smallholder plantation development to determine their strengths and weaknesses and make recommendations to guide future incentives.

The research also revealed that tree plantation development is a male dominated activity with only six percent of the entire population involved being women. The major driving force for engaging in tree plantation development is economic since 34 percent of the people involved were in it for solely financial gains with just two percent pursuing it for only environmental protection purposes while 10 percent engaged in it for the production of household timber and fuel wood.

youth.jpgHowever, 46 percent of the research population said it served the duel purpose of providing them with income while protecting the environment while six percent said it protected their land from degradation.
The research which was carried out mainly through Case Studies, Field Surveys, Field Observation and Desk Studies was to unearth pertinent information that would serve as a basis for reviewing, planning and implementing attractive smallholder plantation development initiatives.

These initiatives will be readily adoptable by tree plantation farmers to enhance their performance and thus increase benefits accruing from smallholder plantations to all stakeholders.