Local-level appraisal of benefits and barriers affecting adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices: Ghana

Although Climate-Smart Agricultural (CSA) practices are expected to boost adaptive capacity, food security and climate change mitigation in resource poor, smallholder farming systems, the barriers that can restrict their uptake are diverse. This study investigated the principal barriers hindering th...

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Main Author: Peterson, C.A.
Format: Informe técnico
Language:Inglés
Published: CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security 2014
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/35688
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author Peterson, C.A.
author_browse Peterson, C.A.
author_facet Peterson, C.A.
author_sort Peterson, C.A.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Although Climate-Smart Agricultural (CSA) practices are expected to boost adaptive capacity, food security and climate change mitigation in resource poor, smallholder farming systems, the barriers that can restrict their uptake are diverse. This study investigated the principal barriers hindering the adoption of CSA practices in the Upper West region of Ghana with the aim of inventorying existing uptake of CSA and providing recommendations to CCAFS as to practices with potential for further research or implementation on the farm level. A questionnaire survey of 60 households in 2 villages in Lawra District, in addition to focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews, revealed that non-adoption was most often a result of insufficient financial capital, difficult access to or low availability of the necessary agricultural inputs (tools, seeds and fertilizers), water scarcity, and in some cases insufficient labor to carry out the practice. Women farmers were often less aware of CSA practices than men and were more likely to perceive increased labor load as a disadvantage to adopting them. The author noted rainwater harvesting, improved crop varieties, efficient fertilizer use, and improved forages, as well as continued use of pit composting, as practices with high potential for further CCAFS investigation and/or on-farm participatory trials.
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spelling CGSpace356882025-12-10T12:47:13Z Local-level appraisal of benefits and barriers affecting adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices: Ghana Peterson, C.A. agriculture climate Although Climate-Smart Agricultural (CSA) practices are expected to boost adaptive capacity, food security and climate change mitigation in resource poor, smallholder farming systems, the barriers that can restrict their uptake are diverse. This study investigated the principal barriers hindering the adoption of CSA practices in the Upper West region of Ghana with the aim of inventorying existing uptake of CSA and providing recommendations to CCAFS as to practices with potential for further research or implementation on the farm level. A questionnaire survey of 60 households in 2 villages in Lawra District, in addition to focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews, revealed that non-adoption was most often a result of insufficient financial capital, difficult access to or low availability of the necessary agricultural inputs (tools, seeds and fertilizers), water scarcity, and in some cases insufficient labor to carry out the practice. Women farmers were often less aware of CSA practices than men and were more likely to perceive increased labor load as a disadvantage to adopting them. The author noted rainwater harvesting, improved crop varieties, efficient fertilizer use, and improved forages, as well as continued use of pit composting, as practices with high potential for further CCAFS investigation and/or on-farm participatory trials. 2014-03 2014-05-30T07:16:53Z 2014-05-30T07:16:53Z Report https://hdl.handle.net/10568/35688 en Open Access application/pdf CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security Peterson CA. 2014. Local-level appraisal of benefits and barriers affecting adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices: Ghana. Copenhagen, Denmark: CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS)
spellingShingle agriculture
climate
Peterson, C.A.
Local-level appraisal of benefits and barriers affecting adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices: Ghana
title Local-level appraisal of benefits and barriers affecting adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices: Ghana
title_full Local-level appraisal of benefits and barriers affecting adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices: Ghana
title_fullStr Local-level appraisal of benefits and barriers affecting adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices: Ghana
title_full_unstemmed Local-level appraisal of benefits and barriers affecting adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices: Ghana
title_short Local-level appraisal of benefits and barriers affecting adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices: Ghana
title_sort local level appraisal of benefits and barriers affecting adoption of climate smart agricultural practices ghana
topic agriculture
climate
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/35688
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