Factors Influencing Climate-Smart Agriculture Adoption Among Smallholder Farmers in East Gonja, Northern Ghana

초록

Climate change poses substantial challenges to smallholder farmers, especially in semi-arid regions like East Gonja in Ghana's Savannah Region, where agriculture is vital for livelihoods and remains highly susceptible to climate variability. This study analyzed factors influencing the adoption of Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices among smallholder farmers in East Gonja, employing an ordered logit model on survey data. Despite CSA's potential to enhance food security and alleviate poverty, the adoption status and determinants in East Gonja remain unclear. The findings revealed that the most commonly utilized CSA practices included soil conservation, cover cropping, mulching, crop rotation, conservation agriculture, and agroforestry. Conversely, practices such as organic manure application, wetland use, and crop diversification were less prevalent. The majority of farmers (76%) were categorized as moderate CSA users, with 15% classified as high users and 9% as low users. Key factors influencing CSA adoption included age, alternative income sources, awareness of climate change's adverse effects, and participation in agricultural groups. The ordered logit model demonstrated that younger farmers, those aware of climate change impacts, and members of agricultural networks were significantly more likely to adopt CSA practices. The results highlighted that economic stability, openness to innovation, and climate change awareness were critical drivers of CSA adoption. Additionally, agricultural networks played a pivotal role in facilitating access to resources and information necessary for implementing sustainable practices. These findings emphasize the need for targeted interventions to support CSA adoption, focusing on raising climate awareness, fostering agricultural networks, and promoting economic opportunities to enhance resilience and sustainability in smallholder farming systems.

키워드