Speaker
Description
Confronted by erratic rainfall and rising temperatures, smallholder farmers require robust adaptation strategies, this study evaluates the adoption, perceived effectiveness, and barriers to Conservation Agriculture (CA) among smallholder farmers in Ghana’s Atwima Mponua District. The study used a mixed-methods approach including surveys of 200 farmers and a hybrid decision support model combining deterministic and probabilistic simulations. Agroforestry (61% ± 3.4%), mulching (56% ± 3.6%), and minimum tillage (52.5% ± 3.5%) were identified as the most adopted practices, largely driven by economic benefits (92.5% ± 3.2%) and long-term use (>6 years for 81.5% ± 4.1%). Farmers rated CA as "very effective" (61.5% ± 3.4%; Weighted Average Index, WAI = 3.13), citing yield increases (93.5% ± 2.5%; mean yields: deterministic 2632.03 kg/ha, probabilistic 2016.63 kg/ha), improved soil health (80% ± 3.8%), and reduced climate hazards (64.5% ± 4.2%). Major barriers included financial constraints (Problem Confrontation Index, PCI = 286 ± 15), lack of government support (PCI = 180 ± 10), and limited resources (PCI = 166 ± 12). Significant gender disparities emerged in minimum tillage adoption (p = 0.04) and knowledge access (p = 0.002). A Binary Logistic Regression identified gender (β = 1.88, p = 0.03) and farming experience (β = 1.93, p = 0.02) as key predictors of adoption. The results of the study underscore CA’s potential as a climate adaptation strategy but call for targeted interventions such as subsidized inputs, gender-equitable training, and stronger policy frameworks to enhance adoption and resilience.