Enoch Kwame Tham-Agyekum - Department of Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness and Extension Faculty of Agriculture College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, KNUST
Nana Kwame Baah Frimpong - Department of Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness and Extension
John-Eudes Andivi Bakang - Department of Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness and Extension
Jafaru Zuwairatu - Department of Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness and Extension Faculty of Agriculture College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, KNUST
Issahaku Sumaya - Department of Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness and Extension
Ebenezer Osei Jones - AAMUSTED, Mampong-Kumasi
Rashid Abdul Boduwah - Department of Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness and Extension

This study takes a rural development perspective to examine the various reasons behind the use of children under ۱۸ years in cocoa farms in Ghana. Using the descriptive research, a sample size of ۳۸۵ cocoa farmers was selected through the multi-stage sampling technique. The analyses included mean, standard deviation, frequency, percentage, and perception index. Although the level of usage of children on cocoa farms was relatively low (۷۴%), majority of the children were involved in nursing of cocoa seedlings (۸۷.۸%), digging of holes for seedlings (۷۶.۳%), gathering of pods (۵۵.۷%) and heaping of pods (۵۳.۹%). Farmers involved children on cocoa farms for the following three reasons; to acquire indigenous knowledge of farming patterns (Mean=۲.۱۸), it is way of life for learning parents' occupation (Mean=۲.۱۸), and income source of the household (Mean=۲.۱۱). The challenge most farmers face in the use of children for farm activities was the fact that the children do not meet the required strength/energy (Mean=۲.۴۸). Policy efforts towards complete eradication of using children under ۱۸ years on cocoa farms must take into consideration the rural nature of the environments in which cocoa farming takes place in order not for it to backfire as is the case currently.

Child labour, Child work, Cocoa farmers, Rural Development, Ghana