Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v4 - SHS 1

Lesson Video

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Performance objectives

• Define customary and statutory land tenure systems.
• Identify key challenges in each system.
• Discuss how these challenges affect agriculture in Ghana.
• Propose potential solutions to these challenges.

Lesson summary

Land is the most fundamental resource for agriculture. However, how we access, own, and use this land in Ghana is governed by complex systems that have both strengths and weaknesses. This lesson focuses on the challenges farmers and agricultural investors face under our two main systems: the customary system (based on tradition and managed by chiefs and families) and the statutory system (based on formal laws and managed by the government). Understanding these challenges is crucial for anyone aspiring to succeed in agriculture, as it helps in making informed decisions, avoiding conflicts, and ensuring the long-term security of their investment.

Lesson notes

This section provides the core knowledge for the lesson. It's the information you will explain to students and which they will use in their group discussions and activities. A. What is a Land Tenure System?

A land tenure system refers to the set of rules, laws, and customs that determine how land is owned, used, managed, and transferred within a society. It essentially answers the questions: "Who can use this land?", "For how long?", and "Under what conditions?".

In Ghana, we primarily operate a dual system: Customary Land Tenure: This system is based on the traditions, customs, and practices of a particular community or ethnic group. Ownership is often communal, held in trust by a chief, stool, skin, or family head (`Abusuapanyin`) for the benefit of the community members. About 80% of land in Ghana is held under this system. Statutory Land Tenure: This system is based on written laws enacted by the Parliament of Ghana. It involves formal registration, documentation (e.g., title deeds, indentures), and is managed by government agencies like the Lands Commission. This system is more common in urban areas. B. Challenges in the Customary Land Tenure System

This system, while being the most accessible for many rural farmers, is fraught with problems that hinder agricultural development. Land Litigation and Disputes: Explanation: Because boundaries are often not formally surveyed and are marked by temporary features like trees, rivers, or rocks, disputes between families or communities are very common. Furthermore, the same piece of land can be sold to multiple people by different family members or unscrupulous chiefs, leading to lengthy and expensive court cases (litigation). Example: In a village near Koforidua, two families might argue over the boundary of their cocoa farms. The original boundary was a large odum tree, but the tree fell 20 years ago. Now, both families claim parts of the other's land, leading to conflict. Insecurity of Tenure: Explanation: Many farmers, especially tenants or those under sharecropping agreements like `Abunu` (dividing farm produce into two halves) or `Abusa` (dividing into three parts), have no long-term security. The landowner can reclaim the land at any time, discouraging the farmer from making long-term investments like planting tree crops (e.g., mango, cashew) or building irrigation systems. Example: A young farmer from the city leases land in the Afram Plains to grow maize. After two successful seasons, the landowner sees the farm is very profitable and decides to take it back for his own son, leaving the young farmer with no land and wasted investment in soil improvement. Difficulty in Using Land as Collateral: Explanation: Banks require official documentation (a title deed or registered lease) to prove ownership before they can give a loan, using the land as security (collateral). Since most customary lands are not registered or documented, farmers cannot use their primary asset—the land—to secure credit to buy inputs like fertilizers, seeds, or machinery. Example: Madam Esi, a successful vegetable farmer in the Volta Region, wants to expand her farm by drilling a borehole. She approaches a bank for a GHS 20,000 loan, but because her family land has no official papers, the bank rejects her application. Land Fragmentation: Explanation: Under our inheritance customs, land is often divided among all the children of the landowner upon his death. Over several generations, a large, viable farm can be split into many small, uneconomical plots that are difficult to manage or mechanize. Example: A 10-acre cocoa farm owned by a great-grandfather is first split between his 5 children (2 acres each). Then, each of those children splits their portion among their own 4 children, resulting in each great-grandchild owning just half an acre, which is too small for efficient commercial farming. Exclusion of Women and Youth: Explanation: In many patrilineal (inheritance through the male line) communities, women have limited rights to own or inherit land. They may be granted access to use the land but cannot make major decisions about it. Young people also struggle to get land from family elders, pushing them away from agriculture. C. Challenges in the Statutory Land Tenure System

Evaluation guide

• Examine challenges in customary and statutory land tenure systems.
• Enquiry -Based Learning: Learners in mixed -ability groups search the Internet and other
• sources for information on the challenges to land acquisition and tenure.
• Managing Talk for Learning: Learners in mixed ability groups discuss challenges in