TY - JOUR
T1 - Adapting to changing climate through improving adaptive capacity at the local level – The case of smallholder horticultural producers in Ghana
AU - Williams, Portia Adade
AU - Crespo, Olivier
AU - Abu, Mumuni
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 The Authors
PY - 2019/1/1
Y1 - 2019/1/1
N2 - The consequences of changing climate are often negatively impacting agricultural production, particularly vulnerable smallholder farmers. Smallholder systems heterogeneity requires local specific climate adaptation for reducing the negative impacts of changing climate in regions heavily relying on small farms agriculture. This study examined the trend in climate in Ghana, how smallholder horticultural farmers perceive this changing climate and how they are responding to its perceived effects. A survey of 480 resource-constrained horticultural producers was conducted in two municipalities of Ghana. Descriptive analysis and Weighted Average Index were employed to rank identified adaptation strategies and challenges. The results showed that farmers are already experiencing increasing temperature and declining rainfall patterns consistent with trends of observed climate changing in the last two decades. To reduce vulnerability and improve resilience of smallholders’ production activities, a range of farmer driven soil, water and crop conservation measures and farm management practices are being adopted. The most important adaptation practices identified include fertilization, supplementary irrigation, crop rotation, intercropping and mixed farming. Enhancing households’ climate adaptive capacity is dependent on factors such as improved access to financial resources, climate and production information, market accessibility, farm equipment, storage facilities and other institutional support. To facilitate effective and successful adaptation at the local level, government and institutional support are recommended to complement households’ autonomous strategies for improved decision-making, adaptation plans and actions.
AB - The consequences of changing climate are often negatively impacting agricultural production, particularly vulnerable smallholder farmers. Smallholder systems heterogeneity requires local specific climate adaptation for reducing the negative impacts of changing climate in regions heavily relying on small farms agriculture. This study examined the trend in climate in Ghana, how smallholder horticultural farmers perceive this changing climate and how they are responding to its perceived effects. A survey of 480 resource-constrained horticultural producers was conducted in two municipalities of Ghana. Descriptive analysis and Weighted Average Index were employed to rank identified adaptation strategies and challenges. The results showed that farmers are already experiencing increasing temperature and declining rainfall patterns consistent with trends of observed climate changing in the last two decades. To reduce vulnerability and improve resilience of smallholders’ production activities, a range of farmer driven soil, water and crop conservation measures and farm management practices are being adopted. The most important adaptation practices identified include fertilization, supplementary irrigation, crop rotation, intercropping and mixed farming. Enhancing households’ climate adaptive capacity is dependent on factors such as improved access to financial resources, climate and production information, market accessibility, farm equipment, storage facilities and other institutional support. To facilitate effective and successful adaptation at the local level, government and institutional support are recommended to complement households’ autonomous strategies for improved decision-making, adaptation plans and actions.
KW - Adaptation
KW - Adaptive capacity
KW - Climate variability
KW - Ghana
KW - Horticulture
KW - Smallholder farmers
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85058621167&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.crm.2018.12.004
DO - 10.1016/j.crm.2018.12.004
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85058621167
SN - 2212-0963
VL - 23
SP - 124
EP - 135
JO - Climate Risk Management
JF - Climate Risk Management
ER -