Evaluating the economic potential of tree-based land uses to alleviate rural poverty in the Ashanti region, Ghana

Abstract

This economic analysis compares costs and benefits of five different land-use types found in the Ashanti region of Ghana, Africa, over a cultivation period of 11 years. It juxtaposes four tree-based systems and one annual cropping system with the aim of determining the most suitable for alleviating poverty in a rural area near the town of Papasi. Data were collected at Ghanaian research institutions as well as during field interviews with local farmers. With the highest Net Present Value (NPV) per hectare, cultivation of orange intercropped with maize and cowpea turns out to be the most lucrative, but it demands considerable start-up investments. Ranking second, an adapted version of the Taungya system with teak trees yields slightly less, but it is capable of providing a positive cash flow throughout its implementation period, which makes it more suitable for low-income subsistence farmers.