The Role of Institutional Support in Climate Change Adaptation Amongst Smallholder Farmers in the Sissala East and West Districts of Ghana

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to measure the effectiveness of formal institutional support on the ability of smallholder farmers to adapt to climate change, using the Sissala East and West Districts of Ghana as cases. The study was also pursued to find out the challenges institutions faced in providing support while investigating the factors that hindered smallholder farmers from accessing institutional support. In line with these objectives the study combined both qualitative and quantitative methods. A household survey was conducted using 160 heads of households who were randomly selected. Face to face interviews were organized with 12 heads of institutions involved in agricultural development in the study districts. Selection of institutions was initially purposive but the snowball technique was adopted as the study progressed. Quantitative data from the field was subjected to statistical analysis such as chi-squares tests and presented in the form of frequencies and percentages. The research findings indicate that, there is a significant effect in the influence of institutional support in adaptation. Furthermore, findings show that, age and gender had no significant correlation with access to institutional support but rather the nature and kind of adaptation project or intervention introduced by institutions determined which sex group benefitted most from institutional support while financial capital and trust counted in the case of private institutions. Based on the findings, the study recommended that, institutions must develop innovative ways of spreading out their reach (such as outreach on market days) in order to aid farmer adaptation throughout the districts while smallholder farmers are encouraged to take opportunity of the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education programme and educate their children to make them likely to be considered for employment in their local institutions to enhance communication flow between farmers and officials of institutions.