African Religious Studies | 07 February 2011
Climate-Smart Agriculture and Women Farmers in Northern Ghana: Implications for Policy and Practice
A, g, n, e, s, K, o, f, i, ,, A, b, e, n, a, O, w, u, s, u, ,, A, m, a, g, y, a, h, M, e, n, s, a, h
Abstract
Climate change poses significant challenges to agricultural productivity in northern Ghana, particularly affecting smallholder women farmers who rely on rain-fed agriculture. A mixed-methods approach combining quantitative surveys (\(n=300)\) and qualitative interviews (\(n=25)\) was employed to gather data from women farmers across six districts in northern Ghana. Women farmers reported an average increase of 15% in crop yields following the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices, with significant improvements noted in water management techniques such as rainwater harvesting and mulching. Climate-smart agriculture has demonstrated potential to enhance the productivity and resilience of smallholder women farmers in northern Ghana. However, more tailored support is needed to address specific constraints related to access to inputs and markets. Policy makers should prioritise the development of targeted extension services that integrate climate-smart agricultural practices with improved market linkages for women farmers.