ZEF Public Lecture double feature by two guest researchers from Ghana

November 30, 2023 | 13:30 h - 14:30 h

We'd like to invite you to a ZEF Public Lecture double feature!

Join us for both lectures via Zoom: https://uni-bonn.zoom-x.de/meeting/register/u50sfumtqz8jH9HticPggOHsAIBSegcgJWWJ

Topic: Do credit market imperfections limit women shea producers' intertemporal arbitrage opportunities?

Speaker: Fred Dzanku, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), University of Ghana, Legon

Abstract:  It is a stylized fact that, in general, poverty discriminates against those living in northern Ghana. Additionally, socio-cultural institutions that influence gender and class relations tend to limit women’s economic opportunities. These issues beg the question: what options are there for gender-inclusive poverty reduction? Shea trees grow across the landscapes in northern Ghana and provide economic opportunities for women. More than 80 percent of activities in the shea value chain are carried out by women, including shea kernel and artisanal butter processing and marketing. However, shea nut production is seasonal with concomitant price fluctuations. While these large seasonal price fluctuations offer shea producers significant intertemporal arbitrage opportunities, we argue in this paper that these opportunities remain largely untapped by shea producers because cash and asset constraints force producers to sell kernels immediately after processing when prices are low. We test the cash constraint hypothesis by setting up a simple credit and marketing contract field experiment among 2,700 shea producers in 135 communities in Northern Ghana. We found that reducing credit market imperfections led to marginal increases in kernel inventory, storage duration and producer price. These impact magnitudes were, however, not large enough to translate to significant welfare gains. Although the latter result seems to be an anticlimax, this could be explained by the short duration between the interventions and observed impacts.

Fred Dzanku is a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), University of Ghana, Legon. His research focuses principally on the economics of household behavior in sub-Saharan Africa with special attention to agricultural household behavior, household welfare analysis, and impact evaluation of development programs using randomized controlled experiments.

Topic: Analysis of Extractive-Led Conflicts from Energy Justice and Equity Perspective. Evidence from Renewed Commercial Gold Mining in Upper East Region of Ghana

Speaker: Assah Mohammed, senior lecturer at the CT Tedam University of Technology and Applied Science.

Abstract: Existing literature have associated environmental conflicts from a variety of sources including limited benefits to affected population, poor regulatory systems and primitive accumulation tendencies of multi-nationals. This research intend to apply multi-disciplinary research approaches and guided by energy justice and equity perspective to understand the nature, causes and implications of conflicts among different stakeholders in the gold mining sector in the Upper East Region. Mixed research method will be applied in research design, data collection and analysis. Findings will be categorized thematically. The distributional, procedural, and recognition aspects of energy justice will be discussed in line with the ensuing findings of the research. Recommendations for improved policy and further research will be made as part of conclusion of the research.

Key Words: Environmental Conflicts, Energy Justice, Gold Mining, Ghana

Asaah Sumaila Mohammed (PhD) is a development practitioner, consultant, researcher and senior lecturer at the CT Tedam University of Technology and Applied Science. He holds a BA in Integrated Development Studies, MPhil in Social and Community Work and PhD in Development Studies. His research interest includes natural resource and environmental governance, extractivism and community rights, decentralization and local governance, local economic development (LED) and gender and development.