Sustainable Agricultural Practices in the Savannah Region of Ghana: Factors shaping Smallholder Adoption

Abstract

Global concerns have been expressed about climate change and its effects on human health and food security, particularly in developing nations like Ghana where agriculture depends primarily on the availability of rain. The low rate of adoption of Sustainable Agricultural Practices (SAPs), which aim to lessen the adverse consequences of climate change, raises concerns about the factors that shape adoption of SAPs in small-scale farming systems. This study uses cross-sectional data from 376 farming households in the East Gonja Municipality of Savannah Region, Ghana, to investigate factors that affect the adoption intensity of SAPs. The study used a variety of count data models, including Poisson, Negative Binomial, and Zero-Inflated Negative Binomial Regressions, to examine the robustness of the results. A diagnostic test to determine the suitability of the count data models revealed that the zero-inflated Poison model fit our data the best. The findings show that the adoption intensity of SAPs was significantly influenced by variables such as gender, engagement in non-farm income activity, land ownership, farm size, and membership of village saving and loans association (VSLA). The study suggests that, because VSLA enables farmers to obtain financing for SAPs, VSLA formation and facilitation should be strengthened to boost SAPs adoption. Farmers should also be encouraged to diversify their economic activity outside farming to generate additional revenue.

 Keywords: Adoption intensity, Sustainable Agricultural Practices, Village saving groups, Zero-inflated negative binomial