Coping with Adversity: Resilience Dynamics of Livestock Farmers in Two Agroecological Zones of Ghana
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Date
2021
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
MDPI
Abstract
Despite the increasing occurrence of adverse events including droughts and conflicts,
livestock farmers in Ghana continue to raise animals to support their livelihoods and the national
economy. We assessed the resilience of cattle farmers (CF) to adverse events they faced using a
cross-sectional survey of 287 CF in two agroecological zones in Ghana. Resilience to adversities
was assessed using the Resilience Scale (RS-14). Resilience scores and categories were computed
and factors that explained variations in resilience categories assessed. The farmers kept, on average,
31 cattle per household, with a majority (91%) also growing crops. Key adverse events confronting
them in both districts were animal disease outbreaks, pasture shortages, and theft, with 85% (240/287)
losing, on average, seven cattle (15% of the herd size) over a one-year period. The mean resilience
score was 71 (SD = 8) out of 98; 52% were highly resilient. Resilience was higher in the southern district
(72 versus 70), albeit not statistically significant (p = 0.06). The resilience significantly improved with
age, each unit increase in cattle in the herd, and having experience raising livestock (p < 0.001). The
CF have relatively high resilience to adverse events affecting their productivity. The findings provide
relevant information for implementing mitigation measures to improve production by reducing
animal mortalities through high-quality veterinary services.
Description
Research Article
Keywords
resilience, livestock farmers, vulnerability, food security