Page 1 of 21

Journal for Studies in Management and Planning

Available at http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/

e-ISSN: 2395-0463

Volume 02 Issue 2

February 2016

Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 97

Climate Change Implications on Smallholder Farmers in

Ghana: A Case Study, in the Transitional Zone.

Peter K. Achamwie

ABSTRACT

Climate change manifestation is recognized

globally and its impact poses a serious

threat to sustainable livelihoods and

economic development, particularly, the sub

– Saharan Africa (SSA) including Ghana.

This study sought to understand the major

challenges facing smallholder farmers in the

face of climate variability and change in

Ghana focusing on the Wenchi Municipality.

The objective of the study is to understand

farmers’ perceptions about climate change;

how they have been affected by the change

and how they are adapting to the situation.

Data for the study were collected from three

hundred (300) respondents from three

communities (Boadan, Akrobi and Awisa) in

Wenchi, the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana.

Both qualitative and quantitative

approaches were used through a stratified

random sampling technique. The data were

analyzed using simple descriptive statistics

and qualitative analyses. The study showed

that though farmers did not know the

concept climate change, they were much

aware of climate variability and change

regarding extreme weather events such as

high temperatures, delays in the start of

rains, erratic rainfalls patterns, and

droughts as well as anthropogenic activities

that had led to a total reduction in food

crops production in their communities. The

adaptive strategies used by farmers were

mix cropping, planting early maturing

crops, rain and temperature tolerant crops

and multiple cropping. The study identified

the major barriers hindering effective

climate change adaptation among farmers

in the communities to include; lack of

adequate information about climate change,

poor agricultural extension service delivery,

high cost of farm inputs, storage and

processing facilities, road and income

constraints among others. The paper

therefore concluded with recommendation

that farmers need to be supported in order

for them to effectively adapt to the climate

change impacts that are already affecting

their production such that hunger and

poverty could be reduced.

Page 2 of 21

Journal for Studies in Management and Planning

Available at http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/

e-ISSN: 2395-0463

Volume 02 Issue 2

February 2016

Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 98

Keywords; Adaptation, Climate viability

and Change, Smallholder Farmers,

1.1 Introduction

Results of Dube et al, (2013), revealed

that climate variability and change is a

global problem that poses serious threat

to sustainable livelihood and economic

development to most developing

countries especially, the Sub – Saharan

Africa (SSA) including Ghana. Boko et

al, (2007), and IPCC (2007), report

showed that, agriculture which is the

bedrock of most economies in the Sub- region is reported to have been hit the

hardest by the onset of this climatic

variability and change. Ghana which is

not an exception has its share of the

impacts. Indeed, agriculture which is the

major employer within the Ghanaian

rural communities suffers the most from

climate change. Ghana Statistical

Service GSS (2014), report indicated that

agriculture contributed only 22% to the

GDP of Ghana in the year 2013. Climate

change is projected to aggravate the

challenges already faced by Sub-Saharan

African (SSA) smallholder farmers.

IPCC, (2007) report indicated that

changes in precipitation levels and

distribution, rising temperatures and sea

– level rise among other challenges are

expected to negatively influence the

growing conditions and the potential

yields of many crops in the SSA. The

decline in crop output will exacerbate

the food security state and poverty levels

of smallholder farmers, whose livelihood

is virtually dependent on rain – fed

agriculture. Simatele, et al, (2012), noted

that climate change is undermining the

efforts to protect livelihoods in Africa.

Though, several works such as, Blessing,

et al, (2011a), Ozor , et al, (2010),

Dube,et al, (2013), Antwi-Agyei, et al ,

(2013), and Till Below, et al ,(2010)

have done a lot of work on the impacts

of climate change on farmers’ activities

in Sub – Saharan Africa and Ghana, very

little attention is given to the challenges

rural smallholder farmers are going

through in the face of climate variability

and change in Ghana particularly Brong

Ahafo, regarding their level of

knowledge about the concept climate

change. Also, the challenges they

encounter and how these challenges

affect their livelihood as well as the

Page 3 of 21

Journal for Studies in Management and Planning

Available at http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/

e-ISSN: 2395-0463

Volume 02 Issue 2

February 2016

Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 99

adaptation strategies used by them to

counter the problem.

This paper therefore, sought to understand

the challenges of smallholder farmers in

Ghana in the face of climate variability and

change focusing mainly on rural smallholder

farmers in Boadan, Akrobi and Awisa

farming communities in the Wenchi

Municipality of the Brong Ahafo region of

Ghana. The aim of the study is to ascertain

the awareness level of smallholder farmers

about climate change, understand the

challenges climate change poses on them

and to examine the effects of these

challenges on the farmers. The study also

sought to examine the adaptation strategies

farmers employ to counter the problems that

climate change brought in their

communities, and lastly, to evaluate the

effects of such adaptation strategies

employed by farmers on their environment...

1.2 Justification of the study

There is the need for an immediate

advocacy on climate change in order to

educate people especially rural

smallholder farmers on the dynamics of

climate variability and change. This

cannot be done properly without

research evidence. Hence, research on

climate change would promote evidence

– based advocacy. It is these facts that

the study want to present. With the

appropriate knowledge about climate

change and adaptation strategies in

place, smallholder farmers’ vulnerability

level would be reduced. Even though,

climate variability and change and

agriculture activities is not a new issue,

there has been very little or no efforts at

all, aimed at scientifically, documenting

the existing climate change problems at

the community level especially in the

SSA and Ghana. Particularly, farming

communities in Brong Ahafo region,

regarding their knowledge, effects and

traditional adaptation strategies used by

them in combating the negative effects

of climate change.

This research will therefore provide the

needed information on what smallholder

farmers in these communities are doing

to adapt to the climate change menace.

Furthermore, it will also serve as a

significant tool to policy makers,

particularly the local government,

ministry of food and agriculture,

development agencies and other

interesting groups with information that

could guide and assist them identify

strategic adaptation policies that would