Promoting sustainable agriculture in Africa through ecosystem‑based farm management practices: evidence from Ghana
**Background** The type of farming practices employed within an agro-ecosystem have some effects on its health and sustainable agricultural production. Thus, it is important to encourage farmers to make use of ecosystem-friendly farming practices if agricultural production is to be sustainable and...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | Inglés |
| Published: |
Springer
2018
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/91964 |
| _version_ | 1855541498927382528 |
|---|---|
| author | Agula, C. Akudugu, M.A. Dittoh, Saa Mabe, F. N. |
| author_browse | Agula, C. Akudugu, M.A. Dittoh, Saa Mabe, F. N. |
| author_facet | Agula, C. Akudugu, M.A. Dittoh, Saa Mabe, F. N. |
| author_sort | Agula, C. |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | **Background**
The type of farming practices employed within an agro-ecosystem have some effects on its health and sustainable agricultural production. Thus, it is important to encourage farmers to make use of ecosystem-friendly farming practices if agricultural production is to be sustainable and this requires the identification of the critical success factors. This paper therefore examined the factors to consider in promoting sustainable agriculture production in Africa through ecosystem-based farm management practices (EBFMPs) using Ghana as a case study. The study employed mixed methods—qualitative and quantitative techniques. Data were collected through key informant interviews, focus group discussions and a semi-structured questionnaire administered to 300 households. The Poisson and negative binomial models were employed to determine the factors that influence farmers’ intensity of adoption of EBFMPs. Eight (8) EBFMPs were used in the paper as the dependent variable, which are organic manure application, conservation of vegetation, conservative tillage, mulching, crop rotation, intercropping with legumes, efficient drainage system and soil bunding.
**Results**
The paper found that the intensity of adoption of EBFMPs is significantly determined by the age of farmers, distance to farms, perception of soil fertility, knowledge of EBFMPs, number of extension visits and the type of irrigation scheme available to farmers.
**Conclusions**
To promote sustainable agricultural production in Ghana and elsewhere in Africa using EBFMBs, these factors must be considered. |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | CGSpace91964 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2018 |
| publishDateRange | 2018 |
| publishDateSort | 2018 |
| publisher | Springer |
| publisherStr | Springer |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace919642024-06-26T09:37:52Z Promoting sustainable agriculture in Africa through ecosystem‑based farm management practices: evidence from Ghana Agula, C. Akudugu, M.A. Dittoh, Saa Mabe, F. N. agriculture ecosystems farm management practices **Background** The type of farming practices employed within an agro-ecosystem have some effects on its health and sustainable agricultural production. Thus, it is important to encourage farmers to make use of ecosystem-friendly farming practices if agricultural production is to be sustainable and this requires the identification of the critical success factors. This paper therefore examined the factors to consider in promoting sustainable agriculture production in Africa through ecosystem-based farm management practices (EBFMPs) using Ghana as a case study. The study employed mixed methods—qualitative and quantitative techniques. Data were collected through key informant interviews, focus group discussions and a semi-structured questionnaire administered to 300 households. The Poisson and negative binomial models were employed to determine the factors that influence farmers’ intensity of adoption of EBFMPs. Eight (8) EBFMPs were used in the paper as the dependent variable, which are organic manure application, conservation of vegetation, conservative tillage, mulching, crop rotation, intercropping with legumes, efficient drainage system and soil bunding. **Results** The paper found that the intensity of adoption of EBFMPs is significantly determined by the age of farmers, distance to farms, perception of soil fertility, knowledge of EBFMPs, number of extension visits and the type of irrigation scheme available to farmers. **Conclusions** To promote sustainable agricultural production in Ghana and elsewhere in Africa using EBFMBs, these factors must be considered. 2018-12 2018-03-28T13:46:13Z 2018-03-28T13:46:13Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/91964 en Open Access application/pdf Springer Agula, C., Akudugu, M. A., Dittoh, S., & Mabe, F. N. (2018). Promoting sustainable agriculture in Africa through ecosystem-based farm management practices: evidence from Ghana. Agriculture & Food Security, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40066-018-0157-5 |
| spellingShingle | agriculture ecosystems farm management practices Agula, C. Akudugu, M.A. Dittoh, Saa Mabe, F. N. Promoting sustainable agriculture in Africa through ecosystem‑based farm management practices: evidence from Ghana |
| title | Promoting sustainable agriculture in Africa through ecosystem‑based farm management practices: evidence from Ghana |
| title_full | Promoting sustainable agriculture in Africa through ecosystem‑based farm management practices: evidence from Ghana |
| title_fullStr | Promoting sustainable agriculture in Africa through ecosystem‑based farm management practices: evidence from Ghana |
| title_full_unstemmed | Promoting sustainable agriculture in Africa through ecosystem‑based farm management practices: evidence from Ghana |
| title_short | Promoting sustainable agriculture in Africa through ecosystem‑based farm management practices: evidence from Ghana |
| title_sort | promoting sustainable agriculture in africa through ecosystem based farm management practices evidence from ghana |
| topic | agriculture ecosystems farm management practices |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/91964 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT agulac promotingsustainableagricultureinafricathroughecosystembasedfarmmanagementpracticesevidencefromghana AT akuduguma promotingsustainableagricultureinafricathroughecosystembasedfarmmanagementpracticesevidencefromghana AT dittohsaa promotingsustainableagricultureinafricathroughecosystembasedfarmmanagementpracticesevidencefromghana AT mabefn promotingsustainableagricultureinafricathroughecosystembasedfarmmanagementpracticesevidencefromghana |