New Extractivism in Ghana’s Salt Sector
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Since commercial production of oil and gas started in Ghana over a decade ago, the salt sector which has historically been dominated by artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) has seen renewed corporate interest. Aided by the state’s preference for large-scale mining (LSM) over ASM since the days of the Economic Reform Program, several tens of thousands of acres of areas previously operated by artisanal and small-scale miners for salt mining have been leased to large-scale salt mining companies. Situated in political settlement and infrapolitics theoretical frameworks, with a focus on two key salt producing sites (Songor and Keta lagoons) and using qualitative research methods through ethnographic engagement with affected regions, the study explores the consequences of this new extractivism in the salt sector to assess the long-term consequences of forced evictions, as well as role of civil society in the retention or otherwise of the now dominant LSM in the salt sector.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who submit articles to this journal from 31st March 2014 for publication, agree to the following terms:
a) Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share and adapt the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
b) Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
c) Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Open Access Citation Advantage Service). Where authors include such a work in an institutional repository or on their website (ie. a copy of a work which has been published in a UTS ePRESS journal, or a pre-print or post-print version of that work), we request that they include a statement that acknowledges the UTS ePRESS publication including the name of the journal, the volume number and a web-link to the journal item.
d) Authors should be aware that the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) License permits readers to share (copy and redistribute the work in any medium or format) and adapt (remix, transform, and build upon the work) for any purpose, even commercially, provided they also give appropriate credit to the work, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. They may do these things in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests you or your publisher endorses their use.
For Volume 5 No 3 (2013) and before, the following copyright applied:
Authors submitting articles to UTSePress publications agree to assign a limited license to UTSePress if and when the manuscript is accepted for publication. This license allows UTSePress to publish a manuscript in a given issue. Articles published by UTSePress are protected by copyright which is retained by the authors who assert their moral rights. Authors control translation and reproduction rights to their works published by UTSePress. UTSePress publications are copyright and all rights are reserved worldwide. Downloads of specific portions of them are permitted for personal use only, not for commercial use or resale. Permissions to reprint or use any materials should be directed to UTSePress.
References
Acosta, A. (2011) “Extractivism and Neo-extractivism: Two Sides of the Same Curse”, in Lang, M. and Mokrani, D. eds. Beyond Development: Alternative Visions from Latin America. Amsterdam: TNI/Rosa Luxembourg Foundation.
Agbove, P. T. (2022) “Four bloodied as gunshots add salt to injury in controversial Ada salt mining project” 15th September, 2022. Accessed 20th October, 2022 Four bloodied as gunshots add salt to injury in controversial Ada salt mining project (thefourthestategh.com)
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) (2009) “The Impact of the Global Financial and Economic Crisis and Recession on the SADC Mining Sector” ECA/SA/AEGM/MINING/2009/2.
AU and UNECA (2011) “Minerals and Africa's development: The International Study Group report on Africa's mineral regimes” United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Addis Ababa.
Aryeetey, E. and Ackah, I. (2018) “The boom, the bust, and the dynamics of oil resource management in Ghana” UNU WIDER Working Paper 2018/89
Atta-Quayson, A (2022) Local Procurement in the mining sector: Is Ghana swimming with the Tide? Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy 122 (2), pp 59-72
Atta-Quayson and Baidoo (2020) “Mining-induced violent resistance: the case of salt mining near Keta lagoon” Review of African Political Economy 47 (166)
Aubyn, A. K. (2000) “’Live and Let’s Live’: The Relationship between Artisanal/Small-scale and Large-scale Miners at Abosso Golfields’ Experience.” In Small-scale Mining, Rural Subsistence and Poverty in West Africa, edited by G. M. Hilson, 227-240. Rugby: Practical Action Publishing
Bank of Ghana (2003) Report on the mining sector. Accra: Bank of Ghana
Bebbington, A., and Bebbington, D. H. (2011). An Andean avatar: Post-neoliberal and neoliberal strategies for securing the unobtainable. New Political Economy, 16 (1), 131–145.
Childs, J., & Hearn, J. (2016). “New” nations: Resource-based development imaginaries in Ghana and Ecuador. Third World Quarterly, 38, 4(844–861). Retrieved from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01436597.2016.117
Denisova, T. S. (2020) “The role of traditional leaders in the political life of West Africa: The case of Ghana” In: Bondarenko, D.M., Kowalewski, S.A., Small, D.B. (eds) The Evolution of Social Institutions. World-Systems Evolution and Global Futures. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-51437-2_17
Epstein, G. (2005) “Introduction: Financialization and the World Economy”, in Epstein, G.A. ed. Financialization and the World Economy. Cheltenham and Northampton: Edward Elgar. Available at https://www.slideshare.net/conormccabe/epstein-financialization2005
Gao, S. (2000) “Economic Globalization: Trends, Risks and Risk Prevention”. CDP Background Paper No. 1, ST/ESA/2000/CDP/1.
Greenhalgh, Peter (1985) “West African Diamonds 1919-1983: An Economic History”, Manchester University Press.
Gudynas, E. (2010) “The New Extractivism of the 21st Century: Ten Urgent Theses about Extractivism in Relation to Current South American Progressivism”, Americas Program Report. Washington, DC: Centre for International Policy https://www.academia.edu/4242379/The_new_extractivism_of_the_21st_century_ten_urgent_theses_about_extractivism_in_relation_to_current_South_American_Progressivism
Hamouchene, H. (2019) Extractivism and Resistance in North Africa Amsterdam: Transnational Institute. Available at https://www.tni.org/files/publication-downloads/web_maghreb_en_21-11-19.pdf
Hilson, G and Yakovleva, N. (2007) “Strained relations: a critical analysis of the mining conflict in Prestea, Ghana” Political Geography 26, 98-119
Khan, M. (2010) “Political settlements and governance of growth-enhancing institutions” Mimeo London: SOAS
Khan, M. H. (2017) “Political settlements and the analysis of institutions” African Affairs 117(469): 636-655
Lanning, G. and Mueller, M (1979) “Africa Undermined: Mining Companies and the Underdevelopment of Africa” Middlesex: Penguin Books.
Larsen, M.N., Yankson, P., and Fold, N. (2009) “Does foreign direct investment (FDI) create linkages in mining? Transnational Corporations and Development Policy: Critical Perspectives” Sanchez-Ancochea, A.D. and Rugraff, E. (eds). Palgrave Macmillan, London. pp. 247-273.
Langdon, J. and Larweh, K. (2017) “Guided by the Yomo Spirit: Resistance to Accumulation by Dispossession of the Songor Salt Lagoon in Ada, Ghana” In Against Colonization and Rural Dispossession: Local Resistance in South and East Asia, The Pacific and Africa, edited by D. Kapoor. London: Zed Books. Accessed October 30, 2022 https://www.academia.edu/35081881/Guided_by_the_Yomo_spirit_Resistance_to_accumulation_by_dispossession_of_the_Songor_salt_lagoon_in_Ada_Ghana
McKay, B. M. (2019) “Food Sovereignty and Neo-extractivism: Limits and Possibilities of an Alternative Development Model” Globalizations 1(19)
Pereira and Tsikata (2021) “Contextualising Extractivism in Africa” Feminist Africa 2(1)
Scott, J. C. (2005) “The Infrapolitics of Subordinate Groups” In The Global Resistance Reader edited by L. Ammore, New York: Routledge
Scott, J. C. (2013) “Decoding Subaltern Politics. Ideology, Disguise and Resistance in Agrarian Politics” Oxon: Routledge
Secretaries Committee of Ada Songor Co-operation, (1989) “Who killed Maggie? The story of the Songor Lagoon” Cadier en Keer: Ada Songor Co-operation/The Africa Centre
Third World Network – Africa (2017) “Towards Optimal Exploitation of Salt from Keta Lagoon Basin in Ghana” Third World Network – Africa: Accra
Third World Network – Africa (undated) “What is Electrochem offering?” Third World Network – Africa: Accra
Torvikey, G. D. (2021) “Reclaiming our Land and Labour: Women’s Resistance to Extractivist Agriculture in South-eastern Ghana” Feminist Africa 2(1)
Ye J., Van der Ploeg J., Schneider S., and Shanin T. (2020) “The incursions of extractivism: moving from dispersed places to global capitalism” J. Peasant Stud. 47(1):155–183