High water levels in Ghana

Bio Exotica, located on the shores of Lake Volta in Ghana, can no longer guarantee the sweet taste of its pineapples due the impact of climate change.

High temperatures are expected to coincide with a certain stage of Bio Exotica’s pineapple crop growth, but last year the temperatures were 1.5 degrees lower than normal, delaying the maturity of the fruit.  Another climatic event is the rising water level in Lake Volta, which is fed by incoming rivers that become swollen from unusually heavy rains in the north of the West African country at certain times of the year. Many years ago, the organization planted native trees around its field boundaries to create a buffer zone that provided shelter for the workers and fruit from the wind and sun. Not surprisingly, this area was quickly taken over by other indigenous flora and fauna species.

However, the lake’s rising water levels have forced these animals and insects to migrate out of the buffer zone and into the farm’s pineapple fields. “We estimate that we are now losing close to eight percent of our crop to animals and insects, which is significant,” Production Manager Emile Aman claims.

Read the full case study here.