Changes in Ghanaian Farming Systems: Stagnation or a Quiet Transformation?

Abstract

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Impacts of Fertilization Type on Soil Microbial Biomass and Nutrient Availability in Two Agroecological Zones of Ghana

“…In the DF, maize (Zea mays), cassava (Manihot esculenta), plantain (Musa paradisiaca) and cash crops like cocoa (Theobroma cacao) and oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) are commonly cultivated. Soil fertility approach is one notable transitioning practice that is differently practiced among farmers in both zones [6,7] and ranges from inorganic to organic amendments or combination of both, fallow periods or even no fertilization. Such differences are reflected in both the type and rates of resource inputs.…”

The Drivers of Medium-Scale Farms and the Emerging Synergies and Contradictions Among Socially-Differentiated Farmers in Northern Ghana

“…Our findings are similar to those of Rodenburg et al (2019) which show that there is increasing reliance on weedicides to control weeds, with as much as 55 per cent of rice farmers using chemicals to control weeds on their farms. This proportion increases to 82 per cent in field areas between 5 and 10ha and 81 per cent for fields with areas above 10ha in northern Ghana (Houssou et al, 2018).…”

“…An organic transformation in farmland is happening in Ghana where a significant proportion, about 70 per cent, of the medium-scale farmers started out as small-scale farmers . In the northern parts of Ghana, it is noted that farm sizes are gradually increasing with a shift from small farms to a mix of medium-and large-scale farms (Houssou et al, 2016). Associated with the changes in farm sizes are changes in crops grown over time, with observed disappearance and emergence of crops grown in some parts of the guinea savannah (Houssou et al, 2016).…”

“…In the northern parts of Ghana, it is noted that farm sizes are gradually increasing with a shift from small farms to a mix of medium-and large-scale farms (Houssou et al, 2016). Associated with the changes in farm sizes are changes in crops grown over time, with observed disappearance and emergence of crops grown in some parts of the guinea savannah (Houssou et al, 2016). The northern parts of Ghana are now among the top producers of major crops such as cowpea, maize and rice, which is an indication of the commercial ethos imbibed by the northern farmer over the years.…”

Cities and Rural Transformation

“…In Table 7.5, the regression estimates illustrate that urbanization, as captured through our typology, has significant yet complex links with agricultural intensification. Rural households in all the three district groups in the agriculturally important North have a higher predicted probability of using fertilizers than households in the South, which may be driven by poorer soil fertility in the North (Houssou et al 2016). However, besides this agroecological factor for the North, the probit estimation shows that in the North, the higher the urbanization level (measured by the size of cities in different district groups), the higher the predicted probability of using fertilizer.…”