Climate change, artisanal and small-scale mining, and livelihood diversification: Whither the agrarian workforce?

Abstract

This article explores the dynamics of climate change and artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM), and its manifestations in livelihood diversification in the agriculture sector. Integrating the concept of ‘livelihood diversification’ with discussions on ‘cocoa-climate variations’ in Ghana, we empirically examine how climate effects have created a space and conditions for labour shifts from the agrarian to the ASM economy. The article offers explanatory power to explore how climate-related shocks can become key push factors of farmers’ diversification strategies, highlighting their consequences for the environment and farm yields, and, in turn, their implications for livelihoods.