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Land grabbing in Ghana - A false promise?: Neo-colonialism or a development opportunity?
Jönköping University, School of Education and Communication, HLK, Global Studies.
Jönköping University, School of Education and Communication, HLK, Global Studies.
2023 (English)Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesisAlternative title
Land grabbing in Ghana - A false promise? : Neo-colonialism or a development opportunity? (English)
Abstract [en]

A global land rush developed during the last decade, spared primiarly by the sharp rise inglobal food prices between 2007 and 2008. The inceased international food prices resulted inincreased interest from foreign actors to invest in agricultural land in developing countries inthe global south. The “global land rush” or “land grabs” is driven by the increased demandfor primarily food and biofuels. The phenomenon refers to foreign direct investment inagricultural land in developing countries that has escalated in recent years, with Sub-SaharanAfrica as the most targeted. This study examines foreign land investment in Ghana focusingon the regions of Brong-Ahafo, Ashanti and Volta through a qualitative literature study. Thepurpose of the study is to analyze to what extent these investments can be explained asneo-colonial or as development opportunities. Based on analyzing economic, political,cultural and power relations, the study concludes that all cases are in line with neo-colonialtheory according to Nkrumah. The economic effects show temporary job creation and loss oflivelihood, which indicates economic exploitation. The cultural effects include disruption oftraditional practices and loss of cultural identity, suggesting cultural imperialism. The aspectof political power shows the marginalization of local interests and political dominance. Noneof the three cases fulfills the principles of a win-win situation and therefore can't beconsidered development opportunities either. The legal frameworks in the regions prioritizeforeign actors over the rights and welfare of affected communities, leading to an unbalanceddistribution of power. The job opportunities that the projects bring often hide the long-termeffects and loss of livelihoods for the local population. In conclusion, this study contributes tothe understanding of Land Grabbing in Ghana as a neo-colonial phenomenon rather than adevelopment opportunity. 

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2023. , p. 61
Keywords [en]
: Land grabbing, Neo-colonialism, Development opportunity, Ghana, Brong-Ahafo, Ashanti, Volta, Customary land tenure system, Nkrumah
National Category
Peace and Conflict Studies Other Social Sciences not elsewhere specified Other Social Sciences
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:hj:diva-61375ISRN: JU-HLK-GLS-1-20230157OAI: oai:DiVA.org:hj-61375DiVA, id: diva2:1771480
Available from: 2023-06-21 Created: 2023-06-20 Last updated: 2025-10-13Bibliographically approved

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Peace and Conflict StudiesOther Social Sciences not elsewhere specifiedOther Social Sciences

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Citation style
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