Circular Economy and Its Relevance for Improving Food and Nutrition Security in Sub-Saharan Africa: the Case of Ghana

Many countries in the world, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), are battling with fundamental sustainable development challenges such as widespread poverty, hunger, food and nutrition insecurity and limited access to vital social services like education and healthcare. Climate change impacts during the past decades have exacerbated the situation in the region and pushed several policy-makers, researchers and the international community to vigorously search for appropriate development models that can help to effectively fix the problems in a sustainable manner. The concept of circular economy (CE) has received wide recognition as a feasible accelerator of sustainable development in the world. CE is based on three main principles: controlling finite stock of natural resources and regenerating natural systems; closing loops; and designing out waste. Employing a mixed methodological approach, the paper examines the importance and relevance of the CE model to SSA, with particular reference to Ghana. We also used the multiple R or 6R framework (reduce, reuse, refuse, rethink, repair and recycle) to analyse the circularity of six agricultural crops in northern Ghana. The paper assumes that deploying the CE model to Ghana’s agricultural sector will result in high efficiency in the exploitation of natural resources, increase in yields, improved quality of agricultural products, enormous environmental benefits and food and nutrition security. A number of challenges in the application of the model to Ghana’s agricultural sector are identified and appropriate recommendations provided for fixing them

Why does an African interpretation of energy poverty matter? A note for Sub-Saharan (SSA) energy policy actors

While nearly 1 billion people across the globe do not have access to modern energy (electricity) in their homes, and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) accounts for 75% of this number. In SSA, there is an urgent need to deal conclusively with issues of energy poverty which have significant implications on the political, social and economic landscape. When compared with energy-rich countries, it is observable that SSA countries with underperforming energy sectors are unable to adequately power their economies toward attaining middle-class ambitions and long-term development. With these economic limitations, SSA countries are further constrained in their ability to build resilience towards health and environmental challenges. Thise discussion contextualises energy in SSA, highlights the impact of energy poverty on development, and presents policy and governance issues towards addressing energy poverty. We conclude that a myriad of issues have contributed to impeding the progress toward alleviating energy poverty in Africa. These issues include, but are not limited to, global environmental change, poor infrastructure and challenges in governance and leadership in the form of dictatorships, political unrest and corruption. We recommend the Africa-Europe Foundation engages in capacity mapping on energy development in Africa to identify strategic energy sub-sectors that can be filled with the right leadership and personnel. Additionally, policies such as the European Green Deal from the European Union should take Africa into consideration, particularly in terms of promoting investments and partnerships for renewable energy development

Towards low carbon agriculture: Systematic-narratives of climate-smart agriculture mitigation potential in Africa

The agricultural sector is the second major source of climate change globally, contributing to anthropogenic Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. In low-to-middle income countries, estimations indicate future increases in agricultural emissions. Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) has an express opportunity to transform agriculture across the globe. In Africa, CSA targets focused on resilience building and food security with less emphasis on the GHG mitigation potential. Nevertheless, to make CSA conclusive as an express low emission development strategy in Africa, understanding the mitigation potential in this context is paramount. Through a systematic-narrative review approach conducted on PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses), the study aimed to identify opportunities to mitigate GHG emissions in Africa. We observed that the distribution of studies that quantitatively assessed the GHG emissions of CSA practices was disproportionate across Africa. For instance, out of twenty studies evaluated, nine were conducted in Southern Africa; three in East Africa, and the rest distributed among Central, Western, and North Africa. Observed in the studies, advanced livestock breeding and feeding, organic nitrogen input, improved pastures and switching land-use practices, all contributed to GHG emission reduction. As limited experimental evidence exist on the GHG mitigation potential for some of the CSA alternatives including agroforestry, rotational farming, improved livestock breed and intensification of ruminants' diet, we recommend further experimental studies into these alternatives in more locations/contexts in Africa. Also, progress on the mitigation pillar is still limited in Africa due to lack of the necessary analytical infrastructure to conduct the needed measurements. We call for urgent investments into laboratory facilities and skills training to improve data collection and quality

Climate-smart agriculture : greenhouse gas mitigation in climate-smart villages of Ghana

Published online: 06 October 2022Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is an approach that helps guide actions to transform agri-food systems towards green and climate-resilient practices and it remains prominent in food systems transformation in the light of increasing climate change impacts. Unfortunately, the quantification of the greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation potential of CSA approaches is currently limited. Using the Cool Farm Tool (CFT), this paper quantifies the GHG mitigation of CSA based on farm-level experimental data. Individual interviews and focus group discussions were also conducted to identify farmers’ choices and willingness to adopt CSA practices. The study compared the GHG emission mitigation of CSA practices for two scenarios (baseline and mitigation). The study found that organic fertilizer input, residue incorporation, no-inorganic fertilizer and no-pesticide input reduced GHG emission intensity of sorghum (to 93.2 ± 25 kg CO2e GHG kg− 1 sorghum), rice (79.2 ± 22 kg CO2e GHG kg− 1 rice) and groundnut (69.7 ± 20 kg CO2e GHG kg− 1 groundnut) compared to the baseline. Lower GHG emission intensity was achieved with higher crop yield under CSA interventions. The study recommends that CSA promoters such as the Consultative Group for International Agriculture Research (CGIAR), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Bank focus on crop-specific CSA practices for higher GHG mitigation. CSA promoters such as the CGIAR, FAO and the World Bank should embrace participatory processes such as farmer schools to increase CSA uptake.This article was published Open Access with the support from the EUI Library through the CRUI - Springer Transformative Agreement (2020-2024

Psychological distance of climate change and mental health risks assessment of smallholder farmers in Northern Ghana: Is habituation a threat to climate change?

Although strong evidence shows climate change has physical impacts on human health, the mental health impacts appear unclear. The study aims to understand and explain the dynamic correlates between climate change and farmers’ emotional regulation practices, given psychological distance. Using 180 smallholder farmers in Northern Ghana, structural equation linear regression analysis showed that given psychological distance (geographical, social), different climate change indicators significantly influenced different emotional regulation practices among farmers. Although, studies show an association between climate change and climate change adaptation practices, the study revealed that, given psychological distance, emotional regulations of farmers predicted their preferences for different climate change adaptation techniques. It is concluded that the influence of climate change on farmers’ emotional regulation practices seems to predispose them to future mental (emotional) health problems. Emotional regulation also appears to be a significant factor that climate change and mental health interventionists need to pay attention to

Determinants of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) Adoption among Smallholder Food Crop Farmers in the Techiman Municipality, Ghana

Climate change is already influencing crop production and distribution, and exacerbating the risks associated with farming. Smallholder farmers, especially from developing countries, have been identified as the most vulnerable to climate hazards due to prevalence of low adaptive measures. Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) has therefore been presented as an alternative form of agriculture that can help to improve food security and reduce poverty, especially in developing countries. In Ghana, efforts are being made to build farmers adaptive capacity in various agro-ecological zones to enable them to effectively adapt to climate change through various CSA practices. However, inadequate attention has been paid at the institutional and academic levels to facilitate comprehensive understanding of the push and pull factors of CSA adoption in rural communities, and to scale-up CSA blueprints. The paper examines CSA among smallholder food crop farmers in the Techiman municipality in Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana. The results of the data analysis indicate that the CSA practices implemented by most of the farmers include using personal experience to predict weather events, reliance on radio/television to access weather information, minimum tillage, use of organic manure and afforestation. Economic, environmental, socio-cultural and institutional factors influenced CSA adoption. The paper concludes that, to ensure a smooth transition to climate-sensitive agricultural practices in Ghana, development actors need to vigorously support the inculcation of indigenous knowledge in modern agricultural technologies. It is also important for the government of Ghana and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to develop and execute more elaborate capacity building programmes at the local level to influence farmers’ personal attitudes towards pro-environmental behaviour

An analysis of climate change and health hazards : results from an international study

Purpose: The interconnections between climate change and health are well studied. However, there is a perceived need for studies that examine how responses to health hazards (e.g. cardiovascular diseases, ozone layer effects, allergens, mental health and vector-borne diseases) may assist in reducing their impacts. The purpose of this paper is to review the evidence on health responses to climate hazards and list some measures to address them. Design/methodology/approach: A mixed literature review, bibliometric analysis and an original online survey were undertaken on 140 participants from 55 countries spread across all geographical regions. Findings: The bibliometric analysis identified that most climate-related health hazards are associated with extreme weather events. However, only one-third of the investigated papers specifically analysed the connections between climate change and health hazards, revealing a thematic gap. Also, although Africa is highly affected by climate change, only 5% of the assessed studies focused on this continent. Many respondents to the survey indicated “heat distress” as a significant vulnerability. The survey also identified social determinants relevant to climate-induced health vulnerabilities, such as socioeconomic and environmental factors, infrastructure and pre-existing health conditions. Most respondents agree that policies and regulations are the most effective adaptation tools to address the public health hazards triggered by climate change. This paper presents some suggestions for optimising public health responses to health hazards associated with climate change, such as the inclusion of climate-related components in public health policies, setting up monitoring systems to assess the extent to which specific climate events may pose a health threat, establishing plans to cope with the health implications of heatwaves, increased measures to protect vulnerable groups and education and awareness-raising initiatives to reduce the overall vulnerability of the population to climate-related health hazards. These measures may assist the ongoing global efforts to understand better – and cope with – the impacts of climate change on health. Originality/value: The combination of a literature review, bibliometric analysis and an original world survey identified and presented a wide range of responses.PeerReviewe

Quantification of methane emitted by ruminants: a review of methods

The contribution of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ruminant production systems varies between countries and between regions within individual countries. The appropriate quantification of GHG emissions, specifically methane (CH4), has raised questions about the correct reporting of GHG inventories and, perhaps more importantly, how best to mitigate CH4 emissions. This review documents existing methods and methodologies to measure and estimate CH4 emissions from ruminant animals and the manure produced therein over various scales and conditions. Measurements of CH4 have frequently been conducted in research settings using classical methodologies developed for bioenergetic purposes, such as gas exchange techniques (respiration chambers, headboxes). While very precise, these techniques are limited to research settings as they are expensive, labor-intensive, and applicable only to a few animals. Head-stalls, such as the GreenFeed system, have been used to measure expired CH4 for individual animals housed alone or in groups in confinement or grazing. This technique requires frequent animal visitation over the diurnal measurement period and an adequate number of collection days. The tracer gas technique can be used to measure CH4 from individual animals housed outdoors, as there is a need to ensure low background concentrations. Micrometeorological techniques (e.g., open-path lasers) can measure CH4 emissions over larger areas and many animals, but limitations exist, including the need to measure over more extended periods. Measurement of CH4 emissions from manure depends on the type of storage, animal housing, CH4 concentration inside and outside the boundaries of the area of interest, and ventilation rate, which is likely the variable that contributes the greatest to measurement uncertainty. For large-scale areas, aircraft, drones, and satellites have been used in association with the tracer flux method, inverse modeling, imagery, and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), but research is lagging in validating these methods. Bottom-up approaches to estimating CH4 emissions rely on empirical or mechanistic modeling to quantify the contribution of individual sources (enteric and manure). In contrast, top-down approaches estimate the amount of CH4 in the atmosphere using spatial and temporal models to account for transportation from an emitter to an observation point. While these two estimation approaches rarely agree, they help identify knowledge gaps and research requirements in practice.ISSN:1525-3163ISSN:0021-881