The Influence of Climate Information Services on Climate-Smart Agricultural Investment Decisions among Smallholder Maize Farmers in Northern Ghana

DOI 10.7160/aol.2025.170109
No 1/2025, March
pp. 113-132

Shaibu, A.-F., Anaman, K. A., Osei-Asare, Y. B. and Adaku, A. A. (2025) "The Influence of Climate Information Services on Climate-Smart Agricultural Investment Decisions among Smallholder Maize Farmers in Northern Ghana", AGRIS on-line Papers in Economics and Informatics, Vol. 17, No. 1, pp. 113-132. ISSN 1804-1930. DOI 10.7160/aol.2025.170109.

Abstract

Climate change poses significant threats to agricultural productivity in Africa particularly in regions that are dependent on rainfed agriculture. Despite the critical role of climate Information Services (CIS) in promoting adaptive practices, there is limited understanding of their impact on investment in Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA). This study addresses this knowledge gap by examining how different sources of CIS influence smallholder maize farmers’ decisions to invest in CSA practices. Using a cross-sectional survey of 566 maize-producing households across five districts in Northern Ghana, we employ descriptive statistics, the Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and a binary logit model to identify key determinants of CSA investment. The findings revealed that frequent access to daily and seasonal weather forecasts, as well as indigenous weather predictions significantly influences farmers’ willingness to invest in CSA practices. Critical factors driving these decisions include maize farm size, level of commercialisation, gender, farm income and extension service visits. The results demonstrate that improving the accuracy and accessibility of CIS through traditional media, mobile platforms, and community engagement can significantly enhance investment in CSA. The key policy recommendations include promoting gender inclusivity, integrating indigenous knowledge with scientific forecasts, and expanding access to financial and advisory support. These are critical for promoting resilience and sustainability among maize-producing households in northern Ghana.

Keywords

Climate information, climate-smart agricultural practices, farm-level decisions, CSA investment, Northern Ghana.

References

  1. Abacı, N. and Demiryürek, K. (2019) "Factors affecting farmers’ decision making on product pattern: A case of vegetable producers in Bafra district of Samsun province, Turkey", Turkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology, Vol. 7, No. 3, pp. 426-434. ISSN 2148-127X. DOI 10.24925/turjaf.v7i3.426-434.2359.
  2. Adonadaga, M. G., Ampadu, B., Ampofo, S. and Adiali, F. (2022) "Climate change adaptation strategies towards reducing vulnerability to drought in Northern Ghana", European Journal of Environment and Earth Sciences, Vol. 3, No. 4, pp. 1-6. ISSN 2684-446X. DOI 10.24018/ejgeo.2022.3.4.294.
  3. Adu, G. B., Abdulai, M. S., Alidu, H., Nutsugah, S. K., Buah, S. S. and Kombiok, J. M., Obeng-Antwi, K., Abudulai, M. and Etwire, P. M. (2014) "Recommended production practices for maize production in Ghana", CSIR & AGRA. [Online]. Available: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gloria-Adu-2/publication/270511013_Recommended_Production_Practices_for_Maize_in_Ghana/links/54ac72dc0cf23c69a2b7d532/Recommended-Production-Practices-for-Maize-in-Ghana.pdf [Accessed: Oct. 15, 2024]. DOI 10.13140/2.1.4376.3527.
  4. Ampadu, B., Sackey, I. and Cudjoe, E. (2019a) "Rainfall distribution in the Upper East Region of Ghana, 1976–2016", Ghana Journal of Science, Technology and Development, Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 45-59. ISSN 2343-6727. DOI 10.47881/168.967x.
  5. Antwi-Agyei, P., Dougill, A. J., Doku-Marfo, J., and Abaidoo, R. C. (2021) "Understanding climate services for enhancing resilient agricultural systems in Anglophone West Africa: The case of Ghana", Climate Services, Vol. 22, p. 100218. E-ISSN 2405-8807. DOI 10.1016/j.cliser.2021.100218.
  6. Antwi-Agyei, P., Fraser, E. D., Dougill, A. J., Stringer, L. C., and Simelton, E. (2012) "Mapping the vulnerability of crop production to drought in Ghana using rainfall, yield and socioeconomic data", Applied Geography, Vol. 32, No. 2, pp. 324-334. ISSN 0143-6228. DOI 10.1016/j.apgeog.2011.06.010.
  7. Atiah, W. A., Amekudzi, L. K., Quansah, E., and Preko, K. (2019) "The spatio-temporal variability of rainfall over the agro-ecological zones of Ghana", Atmospheric and Climate Sciences, Vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 527-544. E-ISSN 2160-0422. DOI 10.4236/acs.2019.93034.
  8. Atiah, W. A., Muthoni, F. K., Kotu, B., Kizito, F., and Amekudzi, L. K. (2021) "Trends of rainfall onset, cessation, and length of growing season in northern Ghana: Comparing the rain gauge, satellite, and farmer’s perceptions", Atmosphere, Vol. 12, No. 12, p. 1674. ISSN 2073-4433. DOI 10.3390/atmos12121674.
  9. Baffour-Ata, F., Antwi-Agyei, P., Nkiaka, E., Dougill, A. J., Anning, A. K., and Kwakye, S. O. (2022) "Climate Information Services Available to Farming Households in Northern Region, Ghana", Weather, Climate, and Society, Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 467-480. E-ISSN 1948-8335, ISSN 1948-8327. DOI 10.1175/WCAS-D-21-0075.1.
  10. Bessah, E., Amponsah, W., Ansah, S. O., Afrifa, A., Yahaya, B., and Wemegah, C. S. (2022) "Climatic zoning of Ghana using selected meteorological variables for the period 1976–2018", Meteorological Applications, Vol. 29, No. 1, p. e2049. E-ISSN 1469-8080. DOI 10.1002/met.2049.
  11. Born, L. (2021) "Climate Services supporting the adoption of Climate Smart Agriculture", [Online]. Available: https://cgspace.cgiar.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/cde64e31-8d66-420f-a2c1-f7eccde3469b/content [Accessed: Oct. 20, 2024].
  12. Bujang, M. A., Sa’at, N., Bakar, T. M. I. T. A., and Joo, L. C. (2018) "Sample size guidelines for logistic regression from observational studies with large population: Emphasis on the accuracy between statistics and parameters based on real life clinical data", The Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences: MJMS, Vol. 25, No. 4, p. 122. ISSN 2180-4303. DOI 10.21315/mjms2018.25.4.12.
  13. Burgess, S., Davies, N. M., and Thompson, S. G. (2016) "Bias due to participant overlap in two-sample Mendelian randomization", Genetic Epidemiology, Vol. 40, No. 7, pp. 597–608. E-ISSN 1098-2272, ISSN 0741-0395. DOI 10.1002/gepi.21998.
  14. Damba, O. T., Kizito, F. and Bonilla-Findji, O., (2021) "Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA)-Climate Smart Information Services (CIS) Prioritization in Ghana: Smart Assessments and Outcomes", [Online]. Available: https://cgspace.cgiar.org/handle/10568/117711 [Accessed: Dec 10, 2023].
  15. Ghana Statistical Service (2021) "Ghana 2021 Population and Housing Census General Report Volume 3A", [Online]. Available: https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/in00000099039 [Accessed: Jan. 20, 2023].
  16. Haile, M. (2005) "Weather patterns, food security and humanitarian response in sub-Saharan Africa", Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, Vol. 360, No. 1463, pp. 2169-2182. ISSN 1471-2970. DOI 10.1098/rstb.2005.1746.
  17. Klemm, T. and McPherson, R. A. (2017) "The development of seasonal climate forecasting for agricultural producers", Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, Vol. 232, pp. 384-399. ISSN 0168-1923. DOI 10.1016/j.agrformet.2016.09.005.
  18. Mellon-Bedi, S., Descheemaeker, K., Hundie-Kotu, B., Frimpong, S. and Groot, J. C. (2020) "Motivational factors influencing farming practices in northern Ghana", NJAS-Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences, Vol. 92, p. 100326. ISSN 1573-5214. DOI 10.1016/j.njas.2020.100326.
  19. MoFA (2021) "Facts and Figures: Agriculture in Ghana, 2020 (30th Edition)", Statistics Research, and Information Directorate of Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Accra, Ghana.[Online]. Available: https://mofa.gov.gh/site/images/pdf/2020%20Agriculture%20In%20Ghana%20Facts%20&%20Figures_%20MASTER.pdf[Accessed: Sept. 12, 2023]. [Accessed: Dec 10, 2023].
  20. Munteanu, A., Schwiegelshohn, C., Sohler, C. and Woodruff, D. (2018) "On coresets for logistic regression", [Online]. Available: https://arxiv.org/abs/1805.08571 [Accessed: Jan. 20, 2023]. DOI 10.48550/arXiv.1805.08571.
  21. Musyoki, M. E., Busienei, J. R., Gathiaka, J. K. and Karuku, G. N. (2022) "Linking farmers’ risk attitudes, livelihood diversification and adoption of climate smart agriculture technologies in the Nyando basin, South-Western Kenya", Heliyon, Vol. 8, No. 4, e09289. E-ISSN 2405-8440. DOI 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09305.
  22. Naz, U. and Saleem, M. S. (2024) "Climate-Induced Vulnerabilities: Conflict and Migration Patterns in the Sahel Region of Africa", Pakistan Languages and Humanities Review, Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 295-311. E-ISSN 2708-6461, ISSN 2708-6453. E-ISSN 2708-6461. DOI 10.47205/plhr.2024(8-II-S)28.
  23. Ngoma, H., Mason-Wardell, N. M., Samboko, P. C., and Hangoma, P. (2019) "Switching Up Climate-Smart Agriculture Adoption: Do ‘Green’ Subsidies, Insurance, Risk Aversion and Impatience Matter?", Working Paper. DOI 10.22004/ag.econ.303524.
  24. Obert, J., Mafongoya, P. L., Mubaya, C. and Mafongoya, O. (2016) "Seasonal climate prediction and adaptation using indigenous knowledge systems in agriculture systems in Southern Africa: A review", Journal of Agricultural Science, Vol. 8, No. 5, pp. 156-172. E-ISSN 1469-5146, ISSN 0021-8596. DOI 10.5539/jas.v8n5p156.
  25. Owusu, A. B., Jakpa, J. T. and Awere, K. G. (2016) "Smallholder farmers’ vulnerability to floods in the Tolon District, Ghana", Interdisciplinary Environmental Review, Vol. 17, No. 3-4, pp. 286-301. ISSN 1521-0227. DOI 10.1504/IER.2016.080246.
  26. Partey, S. T., Zougmoré, R. B., Ouédraogo, M. and Campbell, B. M. (2018) "Developing climate-smart agriculture to face climate variability in West Africa: Challenges and lessons learnt", Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 187, pp. 285-295. ISSN 0959-6526. DOI 10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.03.199.
  27. Rose, D. C., Keating, C. and Morris, C. (2018) "Understanding how to influence farmers’ decision-making behaviour: A social science literature review", Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board . [Online]. Available: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/67271/ [Accessed: Nov. 10, 2023].
  28. Shahbaz, P., Ul Haq, S., Abbas, A., Batool, Z., Alotaibi, B. A. and Nayak, R. K. (2022) "Adoption of climate smart agricultural practices through women involvement in decision making process: Exploring the role of empowerment and innovativeness", Agriculture, Vol. 12, No. 8, p. 1161. ISSN 2077-0472. DOI 10.3390/agriculture12081161.
  29. Šūmane, S., Kunda, I., Knickel, K., Strauss, A., Tisenkopfs, T., des Ios Rios, I., Rivera, M., Chebach, T. and Ashkenazy, A. (2018) "Local and farmers’ knowledge matters! How integrating informal and formal knowledge enhances sustainable and resilient agriculture", Journal of Rural Studies, Vol. 59, pp. 232-241. ISSN 1873-1392. DOI 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2017.01.020.
  30. Taherdoost, H. (2016) "Sampling methods in research methodology: How to choose a sampling technique for research", [Online]. Available: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3205035 [Accessed: Oct. 20, 2023]. DOI 10.2139/ssrn.3205035.
  31. Taherdoost, H. (2017) "Determining Sample Size; How to Calculate Survey Sample Size", International Journal of Economics and Management Systems, Vol. 2. ISSN 2367-8925. [Online]. Available: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3224205. [Accessed: Oct. 20, 2023].
  32. Tong, Q., Swallow, B., Zhang, L., and Zhang, J. (2019) "The roles of risk aversion and climate-smart agriculture in climate risk management: Evidence from rice production in the Jianghan Plain, China", Climate Risk Management, Vol. 26, p. 100199. E-ISSN 2212-0963. DOI 10.1016/j.crm.2019.100199.
  33. Yaro, J. A. (2013) "The perception of and adaptation to climate variability/change in Ghana by small-scale and commercial farmers", Regional Environmental Change, Vol. 13, No. 6, pp. 1259-1272. E-ISSN 1436-378X. DOI 10.1007/s10113-013-0443-5.

Full paper

  Full paper (.pdf, 1.13 MB).