THE EXTENT AND DETERMINANTS OF CLIMATE-SMART AGRICULTURE PRACTICE ADOPTION AND PRIORITIZATION IN NORTHERN GHANA

Abstract

Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) has become a touchy subject among all stakeholders in developing countries such as Ghana. Despite all efforts to promote the CSA in order to achieve sustainable yields, boost food and nutrition security, and adapt to and mitigate climate change, the farmers adoption is low. Stakeholders and other value chain actors, such as credit and service providers, are withdrawing in large numbers as a result of the agriculture risk trend. This study therefore seeks to suggest that beyond the adoption of CSA practices, farmers have to express their prioritization of the adopted CSA practices. Stakeholders can therefore focus on adopted practices that are prioritized by the farmers to ensure increases and sustainable adoption of these CSAs. Descriptive statistics was used to examine the extent of CSA practice adopted and prioritized. Multivariate Probit and the multinomial Probit model were used to examine determining factors for CSA practice adopted and prioritized respectively. The adoption and prioritization of the practices were low for all the practices. It was discovered that the determinants of CSA practices are best observed when the practices are prioritized. The study also revealed that not all adopted practices were prioritized. Five CSA practices were adopted and prioritized (Enhancing access to climate information, legumes crop as a previous crop, organic amendment to improve soil health, promotion of disease and pest-tolerant varieties, and promotion of stress-tolerance varieties). It was also concluded that, the farmers participation in CSA practice formulation enhances the prioritization of the practice.