Paper Title
Assessing the Socio-Economic Benefits of Seaweed Production to the Rural Coastal Areas in Ghana

Abstract
The economic significance of seaweed farming was recognized in the rural coastal areas of Ghana in recent times. The goal of this document is to assess the socio-economic benefits of seaweed production to the rural coastal communities in Ghana. Seaweed farming based primarily on the culture of Kappaphycus and Eucheumaspecies has grown significantly in the rural communities along the coast of Ghana which could be beneficial to the rural masses when taken seriously. Given the rising global demand for seaweed-derived products, seaweed farming has the potential to generate further socio-economic benefits to coastal communities in tropical regions of Ghana. The study brought to light that the change of occupation by villagers from traditional activities to seaweed farming is usually different from one village to another as females are predominantly into the seaweed cultivation than their male counterparts who indicated to the study that they need money every day and that; women are more patient to complete the cycle of planting, weeding, harvesting, and selling involved in the cultivation of seaweed. Index Terms - Seaweed, Coastal farming, Environmental Sustainability, Community empowerment, Alternative livelihood, Coastal population