Achievements and lessons learnt in promoting Climate-Smart Agriculture implementation in Ghana through Science-Policy dialogue platforms

Climate change and variability is affecting all aspects of the development process. Agriculture and food systems are key vulnerable sectors to climate change impacts especially in the sub-Saharan Africa where Ghana is placed. In 2010, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) introduced the concept of Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) as an integrated approach to managing landscapes that address the interlinked challenges of food security and accelerating climate change. CSA aims to simultaneously achieve three outcomes: increased productivity, enhanced resilience, and reduced emissions. Within this context, the role of institutions and policy and research cannot be overemphasized. The CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) in West Africa has since 2012 supported the creation of national multi-stakeholder platforms on climate-smart agriculture in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Niger and Senegal. The platforms were established to use scientific evidence in order to create awareness on climate change impacts on agriculture and make recommendations on the mainstreaming of climate change and CSA into agricultural development plans. This info note aims to synthesize key milestones, achievements and lessons learnt over the last 8 years from the Ghana Science-Policy Dialogue Platform on climate-smart agriculture to inform policy influence and further research orientation on science-policy interaction

Evaluating the utilisation of Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) technologies and practices among smallholder farmers in The Lawra, Jirapa and Nandom districts of Ghana

Climate change is posing threat to agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa including Ghana. Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) is proposed to solve climate change impacts on agriculture. Smallholder farmers are adopting various strategies to be resilient to climate change effects. Empirical research is required to evaluate CSA utilisation in Ghana. Lawra, Jirapa and Nandom districts in the climate-risk areas of Guinea Savannah agro-ecological zone were chosen and Participatory Rapid Appraisal (PRA) tools were used. Farm budget analysis and market price methods were employed; key financial decision-making tools were net returns, profit margins and benefit-cost ratio. Soft systems content analysis, frequencies, means, ranking and data aggregation were employed to generate results. CSA use in the study districts was smallholder driven and male dominated. CSA was mainly used for staples including cereals and legumes and small ruminants under livestock. Crop-livestock integration and crop rotation were the common CSA practices with the highest costs (GH¢6,370.00) and highest revenues (GH¢9,460.00) respectively. Utilisation of CSA in the districts is beneficial and investments are profitable and financially viable. All actors and stakeholders must join forces to promote CSA in the districts. Rigorous promotional campaigns, capacity building and funding at all levels are crucial for CSA adoption in Ghana