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Project title

Cocoa and biodiversity: Interactions between pollinators, cocoa production and rural livelihoods in Ghana

Primary Funding Agency

Irish Research Council

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

University College Dublin (UCD)

Lead Applicant

n/a

Project Abstract

In many parts of the world, especially the developing countries, there is a high demand on land use. This leads to a mosaic of land used for agriculture and biodiversity conservation. However, these land parcels do not act in isolation with knock on impacts for both agricultural production and biodiversity. In Ghana, cocoa is a chief agricultural crop for export and Ghana is the second larger cocoa exporter in the world. Cocoa growing areas are intensively managed with pesticides and other agricultural inputs, and are interspersed with areas protected for biodiversity conservation. Local people restricted from resource extraction from protected areas within the cocoa growing areas have to find alternative livelihoods. Beekeeping has been encouraged as a source of income, but may be influenced by pesticide use. As cocoa benefits from pollination services by wild insects, this leads to interesting dynamics between biodiversity conservation and agricultural production. This PhD project will investigate some interactions between cocoa production, biodiversity conservation and rural livelihoods by answering the following questions: 1) Does biodiversity of pollinating insects benefit cocoa production, and is this service related to the distance from protected areas, 2) Does pesticide use on cocoa plantations have impacts on pollinators and 3) are honeybee products affected by the pesticides inputted on cocoa plantations? Representatives of the 71 cocoa growing districts in Ghana will be used. An experiment will be conducted to test whether protected areas are reservoirs for pollinators in the landscape. Impacts of insecticides on stingless bees will also be investigated through a semi-field experiment. The QuEChERS technique developed by [3] will be employed to determine pesticides residues in honey and beeswax collected from each site. Results will be used to inform sustainable livelihoods and management of natural resources, and will contribute towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Grant Approved

�96,000.00

Research Hub

n/a

Research Theme

Climate Solutions, Transition Management and Opportunities

Start Date

01/09/2019

Initial Projected Completion Date

01/09/2023