Digital Platforms in Climate Information Service Delivery for Farming in Ghana
Date
2021
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
African Handbook of Climate Change Adaptation
Abstract
Phone-based applications, Internet connectivity, and big data are enabling climate
change adaptations. From ICT for development and agriculture perspectives,
great interest exists in how digital platforms support climate information provision for smallholder farmers in Africa. The vast majority of these platforms both
private and public are for delivering climate information services and for data
collection. The sheer number of digital platforms in the climate information sector
has created a complex information landscape for potential information users, with
platforms differing in information type, technology, geographic coverage,
financing structures, and infrastructure. This chapter mapped the existing climate
information services and examined their impact on policy and practices in
smallholder farming development in Africa, with a focus on Ghana. Specifically,
the chapter provides highlights of digital platforms available to smallholder
farmers and agricultural extension agents, analyzes the public and/or private
governance arrangements that underpin the implementation of digital climate
information delivery, and assesses the potential of these platforms in scaling up
the use of climate information. The chapter contributes to understanding the
dynamics of climate information delivery with digital tools in Africa and suggests a future research agenda.
Description
Research Article
Keywords
Climate information services, Digital platforms, Smallholder farming, Ghana, Africa