Senior Lecturer at the University of Cape Coast’s Department of Crop Science, Dr. Frank Kwekucher Ackah, has raised concerns over labor shortages in Ghana’s cocoa sector, warning that more farmworkers are abandoning agriculture for illegal mining (galamsey). He believes this shift is threatening the country’s position as a leading cocoa producer and has proposed that Ghana consider utilizing non-violent prison labor to sustain cocoa production.
In an interview with The High Street Journal on February 24, 2025, Dr. Ackah explained that while illegal mining appears lucrative in the short term, it is not only degrading the environment but also weakening the agricultural workforce at a time when global cocoa prices are rising.
“Cocoa farming is suffering because the labor force is being drawn away into illegal mining, where they believe they can make fast money,” he said. “But the reality is that galamsey is not only destroying our water bodies and forests, it is also crippling our agricultural sector.”
A Role for Prison Labor?
To address this labor gap, Dr. Ackah suggested that Ghana could take inspiration from Burkina Faso, where prisoners are deployed to state farms to support food production. He believes a similar initiative could be applied to the cocoa sector, ensuring continued production while offering inmates a chance to gain useful skills and reintegrate into society.
“If we have prisoners, especially those serving short sentences for minor offenses, why not put them to work on cocoa farms?” he asked. “Rather than keeping them idle in prison while the state spends money feeding them, we can give them the opportunity to contribute to national development.”
Dr. Ackah emphasized that such a system should be well-structured to ensure productivity. He suggested that prisoners working on cocoa farms should have clear targets, and their progress should be monitored. “If they meet production goals, their sentences could be reduced as an incentive,” he added.
Addressing Potential Challenges
While acknowledging that security concerns must be taken seriously, Dr. Ackah argued that with proper supervision and collaboration between prison authorities and agricultural experts, the risks could be minimized. He stressed that the government must take a strategic approach by piloting the initiative before scaling it nationwide.
“We must ensure there is adequate supervision to prevent any security risks,” he said. “But if we get it right, this could be a win-win situation.
