What influences farmers’ choice of indigenous adaptation strategies for agrobiodiversity loss in Northern Ghana?

Abstract

Heavy dependence on the natural environment for agricultural production in northern Ghana adversely affects the availability of agrobiodiversity and in turn household livelihoods. Farmers have over the years developed strategies for adapting to reduction in agrobiodiversity but the extent of adoption varies among farmers. This study used the multinomial logit model to determine the factors influencing farmers’ choice of indigenous adaptation strategies in response to agrobiodiversity loss in northern Ghana. The analysis is based on a sample of 310 farmers drawn from 31 communities in northern Ghana. The factors that positively influence the choice include household head’s sex, farming experience, radio ownership, household size, borrowing credit and awareness of reduction in crop diversity. On the other hand, age, education, farm size, awareness of climate change, farm cash income and existence of market in community, negatively influence choice of strategies. Furthermore, farmer to farmer extension and off-farm income influence adoption either positively or negatively with respect to the adoption option in question. Thus, to encourage adaptation and conservation mechanisms, policies should strengthen farmer based organizations and promote education on the sustainable use of the natural environment. Government policies must also enhance access to offfarm income generating activities.