Impact of cashew cultivation on food security, sovereignty, and income diversification in Jaman North District, Ghana

Smallholder farmers in the forest-savanna transition zone of mid-Ghana have historically relied on food crop cultivation for their livelihoods. However, cashew production is rapidly gaining prominence due to a combination of climatic and non-climatic factors. This shift raises concerns about competition for resources between cashew and food crops, as dedicating productive land and inputs to tree crops that do not directly contribute to food supplies could jeopardize long-term household food security and sovereignty. To explore these dynamics, this study investigated the effects of cashew cultivation on farmers' incomes, household food security, and food sovereignty in the Jaman North District, a leading cashew-producing area in mid-Ghana. Using surveys of 60 farmers and 26 key informant interviews, the study found that cashew farming has become a crucial strategy for income diversification and climate change adaptation. Significantly more male farmers cultivate more of their lands to cashew than females. Currently, 66% of farmers allocate approximately half of their land to cashew cultivation, with 83% intending to expand this allocation. While cashew income enables farmers to purchase food, low market prices and poor harvests can significantly reduce household income, negatively affecting food purchases and other essential needs. Furthermore, the growing dominance of cashew farming has displaced traditional food crops, altered local ecosystems, and forced previously self-sufficient households to rely on unstable cashew incomes. The findings highlight the urgent need for policy interventions to promote the concurrent cultivation of cashew and food crops. Such measures would help safeguard both food security and sovereignty in rural Ghana, offering a model for similar regions facing the challenges of balancing cash crop expansion with sustainable food production.