Just transformations in climate information services provision: perspectives of farmers in southern Ghana

Abstract

ABSTRACT Smallholder farming in Ghana has undergone significant transformation with the advent of digital technologies, enabling numerous information providers to operate at different scales. However, there are significant inequalities as some social groups lack access to climate information services for farming. The extent to which ideas of just and equitable transformations are incorporated into delivering information to households remains largely unknown. The research addressed the knowledge gap by investigating inequalities in accessing climate information services among smallholder farmers in Ghana's coastal savanna region. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with farmers of different ages and genders. Findings reveal that factors like gender norms, household dynamics, and access methods contribute to disparities in information access. The existing mode of agricultural extension delivery contributed to procedural inequalities in information delivery due to the convenient practice of selecting a few farmers as contact persons for workshops and field visits. While climate information is disseminated through various channels, inequalities persist due to the unsuitability of some digital technologies and procedural biases in delivery methods. The findings of this case study reflect societal transformations in the farming sector globally and their occurrence at the micro-level, which do not correspond to the claim for societal justice.