Agriculture and Artisanal Gold Mining in Sierra Leone: Alternatives or Complements?

This article explores a number of the productivity and marketing difficulties that are hindering the establishment of sustainable livelihoods in small‐scale agriculture in Sierra Leone. The emergence of the artisanal gold mining and trading sector in the central part of the country and synergies between farming and mining cycles are discussed. It is argued that small‐scale agriculture and artisanal mining are not livelihood alternatives but are instead livelihood complements. The potentially catalysing role of gold income in reinvigorating non‐mining activities is critically examined. Recent findings that explain the differing profitability of farming and mining are presented. Finally, a policy outlook is offered on how these fragile dynamics could be harnessed to promote sustainable livelihoods in rural Sierra Leone.