Abstract
ABSTRACT Leverage points from systems research are increasingly important to understand how to support transformations towards sustainability, but few studies have considered leverage points in strengthening adaptive capacity to climate change. The existing literature mainly considers strengthening adaptive capacity as a steady and linear process. This article explores possibilities to fast track positive adaptive capacity trajectories of small-scale farmers in the Northern Region of Ghana. Leverage points were identified by triangulating data from semi-structured interviews with farmers (n=72), key informant interviews (n=7) and focus group discussions (FG1 n=17; FG2 n=20). The results present two ways to approach adaptation planning: 1) using four generic leverage points (gender equality, social learning, information and knowledge, and access to finance) or 2) combining the adaptive capacity and leverage point frameworks, thereby creating 15 associations. The generic points provide a set of topics as a starting point for policy and intervention planning activities, while the 15 associations support the identification of place-specific leverage points. Four benefits of using leverage points for adaptive capacity in adaptation planning were identified: guidance on where to intervene in a system, ability to deal with complex systems, inclusion of both causal and teleological decision-making, and a possibility to target deep, transformative change.
Highlights
Climate change increasingly poses a number of new stres sors on people and ecosystems (Ripple et al 2019), parti cularly on agricultural systems in the Global South (Hirabayashi et al 2013; Wheeler and Von Braun 2013; Caminade et al 2014; Roy 2018)
We argue that targeting interventions at the identified leverage points in a given food and agri culture systems can improve the latent capacity of farm ers to adapt to existing and new challenges imposed by climate change in abrupt, non-linear, and efficient ways
This study focuses on the ‘design’ realm, which is clas sified as a deep leverage point
Summary
Climate change increasingly poses a number of new stres sors on people and ecosystems (Ripple et al 2019), parti cularly on agricultural systems in the Global South (Hirabayashi et al 2013; Wheeler and Von Braun 2013; Caminade et al 2014; Roy 2018). A projected further increase in extreme heat events, changes in rainfall patterns and increasing aridity pose a threat to nearly the entire (96%) rain-fed crop production (Serdeczny et al 2017). To respond to these challenges a rich literature on climate change adaptation has developed during recent decades (Descheemaeker et al 2016; Sultan and Gaetani 2016; Muchuru and Nhamo 2019). Interview questions First I would like to discuss a bit about your farm and your farming practices (1) How many separate plots of land do you have, what size are they and what do you grow? Interview questions First I would like to discuss a bit about your farm and your farming practices (1) How many separate plots of land do you have, what size are they and what do you grow? Do you grow any legumes – cowpea, soybean, groundnut, common bean and/or bambara groundnut?
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