Abstract
BackgroundThe adoption of climate-smart agricultural (CSA) practices is expected to improve farmers’ adaptation to climate change and also increase yields while simultaneously curbing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This paper explores the determinants of smallholder farmers’ participation in GHG-emitting activities. It also estimates the impact of CSA activities on reducing GHG emissions.MethodsThe findings are based on survey data obtained from 350 smallholder farmers in the East Gonja district of Northern Ghana. We adopted the generalized Poisson regression model in identifying factors influencing farmers’ participation in the GHG emission practices and inverse-probability-weighted regression adjustment (IPWRA) to estimate the impact of CSA adoption on GHG emissions.ResultsMost farming households engaged in at least one emission activity. The findings of the generalized Poisson model found that wealthier households, higher education, and households with access to extension services were less likely to participate in GHG emission activities. There was also evidence that CSA adoption significantly reduces GHG emissions.ConclusionAdvocacy in CSA adoption could be a necessary condition for environmental protection through the reduction of GHG emissions.
Highlights
The adoption of climate-smart agricultural (CSA) practices is expected to improve farmers’ adaptation to climate change and increase yields while simultaneously curbing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
Six (6%) of the sampled households did not participate in any of the GHG emission practices, while 41.14% of the households were into all four emission contributing practices
The results show that education, experience, access to extension services, CSA training, CSA adoption, and welfare as well as the perception of deforestation are all negative and significant determinants of GHG emission practices
Summary
The adoption of climate-smart agricultural (CSA) practices is expected to improve farmers’ adaptation to climate change and increase yields while simultaneously curbing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This paper explores the determinants of smallholder farmers’ participation in GHG-emitting activities. It estimates the impact of CSA activities on reducing GHG emissions. Agricultural activities contribute about 17% to GHG emissions and 7–14% to land use change (OECD 2015). In addition to industry and transport, it contributes significantly to GHG emissions through a number of activities, such as land clearing, biomass or wood burning, and tilling or agrochemical use, all of which increase the effects of climate change by releasing GHGs (FAOSTAT, 2015). Agriculture in tropical developing countries is estimated to account for 7–9% of anthropogenic GHG emissions annually (Smith et al 2014)
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