Galamsey (illegal mining) continues to persist in Ghana because its root causes have not been solved by the Ghanaian government, including severe poverty, unemployment, and haphazard enforcement of laws and regulations.
To solve the galamsey menace, three specific actions must be implemented by the Ghana government to guarantee a sustainable resolution to this problem.
Improve value of cocoa farming and agriculture
The economic value of cocoa farming and agriculture should match or exceed those derived from illegal mining activities (galamsey). The price of a bag of cocoa (64 kg) is currently GH₵3,000 – GH₵3,100 (Acheampong, 2024). But the cost of producing a bag of cocoa is about GH₵1,000 annually, including maintenance of the cocoa trees and land, land lease fees if you do not own the land, replanting seedlings, and hiring labourers. In a typical year, a small-scale cocoa farmer can harvest about 4 bags (GH₵12,000) with an estimated profit of about GH₵8,000. Spread across the year, this equates to an income of GH₵667 per month. On the other hand, an individual galamsey miner could generate one ounce of gold per year, which sells for about GH₵45,000. It is, therefore, no surprise that some cocoa farmers have decided to cut down the crops and mine the land (Taylor and Taylor, 2018). As one of the major pillars of Ghana’s GDP (close to 8%), cocoa farmers must receive better remuneration for their hard work. Furthermore, the government should implement policies that provide robust support to local farmers and establish import restrictions on agricultural products, such as poultry, that can be produced domestically.
Implement a living wage policy
Improving the remuneration of Ghanaian workers, particularly those in minimum wage positions like cleaning services, is crucial for fostering a society that values and dignifies formal labour, thereby making it a more desirable and prestigious option than illegal mining. Ghana currently implements a daily minimum wage policy that is incommensurate with the costs of living. The new daily minimum wage is GH₵19.97 since 1 March 2025, which is roughly GH₵2.5 per hour. However, a healthy lunch of kenkey and fish costs about GH₵20. As a result of the poor salary and wages in Ghana, close to 7 million people are estimated to be living below the poverty line ($2.15 per day per person) (GNA, 2024). Poverty and unemployment have been identified by several researchers as significant drivers of galamsey in Ghana (Afriyie et al., 2016). It is, therefore, imperative that the government implements a living wage policy to make it rewarding for people to take minimum wage work in Ghana, especially Zoomlion cleaners.
Enforce an effective regulatory regime
Effective monitoring, surveillance, and regulation of mining activities throughout the country is crucial to the fight against galamsey. Governments’ regulatory actions will only be successful if the root causes of galamsey are addressed effectively. Whilst many measures have been implemented, these have proved unsuccessful with severe damage to Ghana’s forests, reserved lands, and water bodies. The regulatory regime must incorporate a responsible citizenship campaign, involving traditional leaders and local residents in mining communities. A specific National Conservation Service Corps should be established, employing young people/ National Service Personnel to patrol mining communities, document and report illegal mining activities, and engage in environmental conservation activities, such as planting trees, habitat and land restoration, managing natural resources and water bodies, and ecotourism programmes to generate income for the country.
I believe tackling poverty and unemployment, as key drivers, will enable the implementation of a long-term sustainable solution to the galamsey problem in Ghana.
Happy Independence Day!
References
Acheampong, B., 2024. Review of the producer price of cocoa for the 2024/2025 cocoa season Wednesday, 11th September, 2024. Ghana Cocoa Board. URL https://cocobod.gh/news/review-of-the-producer-price-of-cocoa-for-the-20242025-cocoa-season-wednesday-11th-september-2024 (accessed 3.6.25).
Afriyie, K., Ganle, J.K., Adomako, J.A.A., 2016. The good in evil: a discourse analysis of the galamsey industry in Ghana. Oxford Development Studies 44, 493–508. https://doi.org/10.1080/13600818.2016.1217984
GNA, 2024. Poverty Report: Over 7.3 million people multidimensionally poor in Ghana. Ghana News Agency. URL https://gna.org.gh/2024/06/poverty-report-over-7-3-million-people-multidimensionally-poor-in-ghana/ (accessed 3.6.25).
Taylor, M.S., Taylor, K., 2018. Ghana’s Illegal Galamsey Gold Mining Affecting Cocoa Farmers, Chocolate Supply. National Geographic. URL https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/ghana-gold-mining-cocoa-environment (accessed 3.6.25).
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