Influence of demographic characteristics and social network on peri-urban smallholder farmers adaptation strategies - evidence from southern Ghana

AbstractWith a gamut of climate variability and change literature that examines rural spaces in the global south, and in the case of Ghana, rural spaces in the northern part, this article turns focus to a less targeted empirical space of peri-urban geography to examine demographic factors and the ex...

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Main Authors: Reginald Anum, Daniel Adu Ankrah, Jonathan Nicholas Anaglo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2022-12-01
Series:Cogent Food & Agriculture
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311932.2022.2130969
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author Reginald Anum
Daniel Adu Ankrah
Jonathan Nicholas Anaglo
author_facet Reginald Anum
Daniel Adu Ankrah
Jonathan Nicholas Anaglo
author_sort Reginald Anum
collection DOAJ
description AbstractWith a gamut of climate variability and change literature that examines rural spaces in the global south, and in the case of Ghana, rural spaces in the northern part, this article turns focus to a less targeted empirical space of peri-urban geography to examine demographic factors and the extent to which membership of social networks intersect with adaptation strategies. Specifically, we answer the research question: To what extent do demographic factors and membership of social networks influence smallholder farmers adaptation strategies in a peri-urban space in Ghana? Using a mixed-methods approach involving cross-sectional data on 150 smallholder crop farmers selected through random sampling, complemented by focus group discussions, we find that smallholder farmers’ demographic characteristics such as gender, age, educational level, farming experience as well as membership of Farmer Based Organizations (FBOs) significantly influenced adaptation strategies to climate variability. Gender, however inversely influenced alternate livelihood adaptation strategy. Agricultural advisory and extension services should target addressing specific gender needs, promote, and up-scale crop rotation, tree planting, and alternative livelihoods, as well as its intersection with demographic factors and FBO membership among farm households to improve resilience to climate variability and change in peri-urban spaces.
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spelling doaj.art-c7adbdfa76414bc29a827a69b22290682022-12-22T03:00:07ZengTaylor & Francis GroupCogent Food & Agriculture2331-19322022-12-018110.1080/23311932.2022.2130969Influence of demographic characteristics and social network on peri-urban smallholder farmers adaptation strategies - evidence from southern GhanaReginald Anum0Daniel Adu Ankrah1Jonathan Nicholas Anaglo2University of Ghana, Department of Agricultural Extension, College of Basic and Applied Sciences (CBAS), Accra, GhanaUniversity of Ghana, Department of Agricultural Extension, College of Basic and Applied Sciences (CBAS), Accra, GhanaUniversity of Ghana, Department of Agricultural Extension, College of Basic and Applied Sciences (CBAS), Accra, GhanaAbstractWith a gamut of climate variability and change literature that examines rural spaces in the global south, and in the case of Ghana, rural spaces in the northern part, this article turns focus to a less targeted empirical space of peri-urban geography to examine demographic factors and the extent to which membership of social networks intersect with adaptation strategies. Specifically, we answer the research question: To what extent do demographic factors and membership of social networks influence smallholder farmers adaptation strategies in a peri-urban space in Ghana? Using a mixed-methods approach involving cross-sectional data on 150 smallholder crop farmers selected through random sampling, complemented by focus group discussions, we find that smallholder farmers’ demographic characteristics such as gender, age, educational level, farming experience as well as membership of Farmer Based Organizations (FBOs) significantly influenced adaptation strategies to climate variability. Gender, however inversely influenced alternate livelihood adaptation strategy. Agricultural advisory and extension services should target addressing specific gender needs, promote, and up-scale crop rotation, tree planting, and alternative livelihoods, as well as its intersection with demographic factors and FBO membership among farm households to improve resilience to climate variability and change in peri-urban spaces.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311932.2022.2130969climate changeadaptation strategydemographic characteristicssouthern Ghana
spellingShingle Reginald Anum
Daniel Adu Ankrah
Jonathan Nicholas Anaglo
Influence of demographic characteristics and social network on peri-urban smallholder farmers adaptation strategies - evidence from southern Ghana
Cogent Food & Agriculture
climate change
adaptation strategy
demographic characteristics
southern Ghana
title Influence of demographic characteristics and social network on peri-urban smallholder farmers adaptation strategies - evidence from southern Ghana
title_full Influence of demographic characteristics and social network on peri-urban smallholder farmers adaptation strategies - evidence from southern Ghana
title_fullStr Influence of demographic characteristics and social network on peri-urban smallholder farmers adaptation strategies - evidence from southern Ghana
title_full_unstemmed Influence of demographic characteristics and social network on peri-urban smallholder farmers adaptation strategies - evidence from southern Ghana
title_short Influence of demographic characteristics and social network on peri-urban smallholder farmers adaptation strategies - evidence from southern Ghana
title_sort influence of demographic characteristics and social network on peri urban smallholder farmers adaptation strategies evidence from southern ghana
topic climate change
adaptation strategy
demographic characteristics
southern Ghana
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311932.2022.2130969
work_keys_str_mv AT reginaldanum influenceofdemographiccharacteristicsandsocialnetworkonperiurbansmallholderfarmersadaptationstrategiesevidencefromsouthernghana
AT danieladuankrah influenceofdemographiccharacteristicsandsocialnetworkonperiurbansmallholderfarmersadaptationstrategiesevidencefromsouthernghana
AT jonathannicholasanaglo influenceofdemographiccharacteristicsandsocialnetworkonperiurbansmallholderfarmersadaptationstrategiesevidencefromsouthernghana