Replication Study on Urban Agriculture Practices among Women Farmers in Accra, Ghana: Sustainable Strategies

Urban agriculture practices among women farmers in Accra, Ghana have garnered significant attention for their role in sustainable food security and economic empowerment. Data collection was conducted using semi-structured interviews with 30 female farmers, supplemented by participant observation. The methodology followed the principles of grounded theory to ensure rich, contextual insights. The findings indicate a strong preference for sustainable farming practices among women farmers in Accra, with over 75% indicating they use organic fertilizers and natural pest control methods. This study supports previous research by confirming the efficacy of sustainable agricultural strategies employed by female farmers in enhancing their livelihoods and contributing to local food security. Policy interventions should focus on providing training and access to affordable inputs for organic farming, while also addressing barriers such as limited land availability. Model estimation used $\hat{\theta}=argmin_{\theta}\sum_i\ell(y_i,f_\theta(x_i))+\lambda\lVert\theta\rVert_2^2$, with performance evaluated using out-of-sample error.