Our Data Officer, Justice Ofosu Enin, has been a dear member of the Pure and Just team for years – even since before we registered as a company! We’re proud to share that he recently completed his undergraduate degree in Geography and Resource Development at the University of Ghana.
We found his thesis research on “The Effects of Urban Expansion on Agricultural Livelihoods in the Nsawam Adoagyiri District“ so compelling and relevant that we had to share it!
As a company bridging the spaces between development, agriculture, people, and place, we are uniquely situated to have an impact in these fields – for better and worse. It’s important that we continue to be conscious of broader social and environmental changes, and to reckon with our role in changing lives and times. Justice’ work helps us do this!
His work, in his own words:
By using a mixed-methods approach in combination with Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Sytems (GIS) tools, surveys, and interviews across six communities, I explored how urbanization has affected farmlands, farmers, and residents in the Nsawam Adoagyiri District, Ghana.
The communities under study were Nsawam, Sakyikrom, Ntoaso, Addoagyiri, Akwamu, and Nsumia. I got the privilege of collecting data from some traditional and local leaders, farmers, and residents in the above-mentioned communities.
Some key findings included:
- A significant land use transformation between the years 2000 and 2020 with the help of Land Use Land Cover (LULC) Map.
- Vegetation coverage decreased from 41.6% to 37.8%
- Built-up areas dramatically increased from 5.8% to 80%
- Agricultural lands were substantially reduced
Moreover, urban expansion posed critical challenges for local communities:
- 71.3% of respondents reported the loss of agricultural land
- 30% indicated a reduction in rural and agricultural sector opportunities
- 35% shifted towards informal employment.
Residents and Farmers who lived in the study communities adopted various coping strategies, which included:
- Engagement in small-scale businesses
- Working in local industries like sachet water and manufacturing factories/ companies within and around their communities
- Farmers affected by land loss resorted to collaborative farming as well as farming in neighboring communities where land was available
In conclusion, this research highlighted the complex interplay between urban growth and agricultural livelihoods. It demonstrated that while urbanization brought some economic opportunities, it significantly disrupted traditional agricultural practices.
The study provided some recommendations which were:
- Implementing comprehensive land use planning
- Providing financial and technical support to farmers
- Creating policies to protect farmlands from urban conversion.
Justice on Justice :)
My name is Justice Ofosu Ennin, a recent graduate of the University of Ghana, where I majored in Geography and Resource Development. I am currently taking my National Service at Pure and Just Company Ltd as a Data Officer. Here, I manage and analyze data to support decision-making, assist in developing and implementing data collection systems, etc.
My journey into data science and analytics was sparked by the invaluable opportunity to work on exciting and challenging projects at Pure and Just Company across different departments, even while pursuing my undergraduate studies. This experience has ignited my ambition to become a Data Scientist who will impact my generation.
I am deeply grateful to Pure and Just Company Ltd for their mentorship, and support, and for providing a nurturing environment that has empowered me to pursue my passion. My mission is to solve problems, bring happiness to those around me, and continuously grow as a professional in the field of data science.