Northern Ghana has good potential for agricultural growth, particularly in the fertile lowland and inland valleys, which are currently under-exploited for agriculture. However, this region is highly exposed to extreme events, has limited opportunities for off-farm and nonfarm employment, and has experienced a weakening of traditional social safety nets, which in turn has amplified risks from climate variability and change. Moreover, the limited investment in the construction of dams, dugouts and the judicious management of watersheds is negatively impacting the ability of the north to produce food and has increased vulnerabilities spawned by droughts and floods, which are expected to increase with climate change.

This research, Assessing the adaptation mechanisms of smallholder farmers to climate change and agro biodiversity losses in northern Ghana, examines adaptation strategies for smallholder farmers in northern Ghana, discussing issues of production, water management and the policy environment. This research is in two components; climate change and agrobiodiversity loss. The livelihood vulnerability index and multinomial logit regression were used to measure the level of vulnerability and determine the factors that influence farmers’ choice of adaptation strategies.

Further reading:

This project and publication has been produced as part of the START call for research on the theme of ‘Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security’ in Africa, with an emphasis on the sustainability of ecosystem services in Africa. Objectives of this call are to commission high quality, independent, policy-relevant and credible research to support policy making for sustainable development in the region, to build the capacities of regional research partners to conduct high level research and to create a platform for knowledge sharing at the regional level. The funding has been provided by US National Science Foundation, Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) and CDKN.

START homepage: START
Research call information: Regional Research Call – Africa

START projects:

• Safety Nets Simplified: Simulated Decision-Making in Volatile Developing Economies
• Management of Ecosystem Services of the Forests of Southwest Nigeria in Support of Rural livelihoods and Food Security
• Reducing tropical deforestation and the Protection of Ecosystem Services to support food security in Southwest Cameroon
• Sustainable Farmland management in the context of climate change in inland valleys of Southern Benin
• Changes in Tree Reproductive Phenology: Causes and Implications in and around Budongo Forest Reserve, Uganda
• Impact of Climate Change on Water Resources, Agriculture and Food Security in the Ethiopian Rift Valley: Risk Assessment and Adaptation Strategies for Sustainable Ecosystem Services
• Improving Seasonal Forecast Information for Managing On-farm Decisions
• Integrating Indigenous Knowledge and Scientific Methods for Flood Risk Analyses, Responses and Adaptation in Rural Coastal Communities in Nigeria
• Community-based management of ecosystems and natural resources for the improvement of rural livelihoods and food security in the Nigerian Savannah
• Engaging farmers and climatologists in Adaptation to climate variability and change in the Okavango Delta of Botswana
• The role of Urban and peri-urban agriculture in enhancing food security and climate change resilience in East and West African Cities
• The Impact of Climate Change on Food Security Among Coastal Communities of Keiskamma, in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
• Sensitivity of Coastal Lagoon Ecosystems to Climate and Related Global Changes: Developing a North African Lagoons Network