The relationship between migration and poverty: the case of peasant Dagaaba farmers in the upper west region of Ghana

This paper focuses on migration of peasant Dagaaba farmers of the Upper West region of Ghana and discusses the role of migration in the livelihood strategies of these farmers measured in terms of the gains made but gives attention also to significantly related issues including the process of migration decision making, the push factors, the coping mechanisms of migrant households as well as the risks they are exposed to in the destination areas. These discussions are preceded by a discussion of the contextual background of poverty and migration in Ghana, the Upper West Region and the Dagaaba specifically which suggests that bad development policies and environmental conditions have kept the Dagaaba migrating for decades. This set the tone for a theoretical review on the back of which I read into migration of the peasant Dagaaba farmers as a strategy to improve their livelihood made possible by opportunities available in the destination areas. From data collected through a questionnaire, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and interviews, the study found that migration decisions are mostly jointly taken and funded by household members while the benefits are usually expected to reach everyone. The study also reveals that migration has helped households achieve some of their needs like food security which is the priority of most of the peasant farmers migrating in addition to the acquisition of assets like a bicycle and the building of living rooms among others. This becomes real for those able to defy all the odds at the destination area like exposure to diseases and death among others as perceived by the migrants. Household members left behind are either idle during the dry season or engage in activities that earn them next to nothing. The findings also indicate that migration has a lot of challenges for the peasant farmers but has endured for decades due to its role in their survival strategies. The farmers then recommend subsidies on fertilizer among others as interventions to improve their productivity at home. -- Relevance to Development Studies -- Migration has been part of the history of humanity and in the case of the peasant Dagaaba farmers, migration is as old as the history of the nation Ghana but the question of how useful it has been to their livelihood to keep them migrating for decades is definitely best answered by the peasant Dagaaba migrants themselves. The findings of this paper therefore provide a foundation for further micro analysis of the role of migration to livelihood but could also be a useful tool for engendering policy action relevant for the wellbeing of the peasant Dagaaba farmers.