Advancing Climate Change Adaptation
of Smallholder Agricultural Farms in Ghana
Climate change is unequivocal (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2007), and its impacts pose a multitude of threats to human well-being, socio-economic development, and the environment. However, the impacts of this phenomenon will disproportionately affect emerging economies, which are more susceptible to the vulnerabilities of climate change because of their continued fundamental reliance on climate-sensitive economic sectors like agriculture. For example, smallholder agriculture accounts for more than 70% of the total agricultural production in sub-Saharan African countries like Ghana.
The Goal
We aim to reduce the risks and the consequential effects of climate change in poor households across Ghana by 2032.
Proposed Solutions
Climate change adaptation strategies can offer innovative ways to address the actual and anticipated climate impacts. Our innovations seek to–
(i) promote inventive agronomic practices that help mitigate greenhouse gas emissions;
(ii) build smallholder farmers’ adaptation and resilience to climate change impacts through research, training, and knowledge-sharing on climate-smart agronomic practices; and
(iii) support smallholder farmers to maximise the benefits associated with the opportunities linked with climate change.
Mitigation Strategies
Mitigating climate change and strengthening the adaptive capacity of smallholder farmers is a prerequisite to improving food and income security and the livelihoods of poor rural and urban households, thereby contributing to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. Particularly SDG 1 (No poverty), SDG 2 (Zero hunger) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
