Mining versus Farming: An Analysis of the Farmers' Livelihood System

The implementation and main objective of the community compensation package program for farmers in the Prestea mining area is to deal with some of the grievances emanating from the operations of Golden Star Resource Limited (GSR) in the Prestea community. Some of these reservations of the local farmers relate to the impact on the local people’s farmlands by the large-scale mining company’s operations. This has consequently led to violent conflicts sometimes resulting in the loss of life and property. There are well-known complaints including the destruction of farms and homes of local people through expansive activities of GSR and the digging of mining pits close to farms. The large-scale mining company has a compensation package that is normally given to the farmers for affecting their farms. It is therefore crucial to assess the livelihood system of local farmers including the community compensation program for farmers since the farmers appear not to be content with the program. This paper contends that many indigenous farmers have been deprived of their livelihoods and the farmers perceive the community compensation package program as a bad initiative in Prestea with many of them regarding it as mere public relations gimmick that does not take the welfare of the local people into consideration.