Abstract
BackgroundAs part of dynamic livelihood coping strategies, some farmers in Ghana’s cocoa belt have diversified away from traditional cocoa production to other high-value crops including vegetables, to the extent of diversifying within vegetables. This study assessed the extent of diversification of vegetables among farmers in Ghana’s cocoa belt and determined the factors that explain the variability in the diversification indices. A small-sample-size formula (http://www.surveysystem.com/sscalc.htm) that was based on an estimated population of the sample was used to arrive at 621 farmer respondents from the Ashanti and Western Regions of Ghana. A combination of proportional and random sampling was employed to select farmers for the interview.ResultsMarital status of the household head and total land endowment were the major determinants of diversification.ConclusionsUnlike most other studies found in the crop diversification literature, this study used econometric data reduction procedures to select the appropriate diversification indices, and selected the most appropriate fractional regression functional form from the four modelled. Vegetable diversification offers great potential for improving livelihoods of cocoa-based farm households in the study area.
Highlights
As part of dynamic livelihood coping strategies, some farmers in Ghana’s cocoa belt have diversified away from traditional cocoa production to other high-value crops including vegetables, to the extent of diversifying within vegetables
Cocoa farmers should be encouraged to consider selecting some vegetable crops for cultivation in cocoa farms at the early stages of cocoa establishment in addition to traditional cocoa-shade crops such as plantain and cassava
This study assessed the extent of diversification of vegetables among farmers in Ghana’s cocoa belt and identified the factors that explain the variability in the diversification indices
Summary
As part of dynamic livelihood coping strategies, some farmers in Ghana’s cocoa belt have diversified away from traditional cocoa production to other high-value crops including vegetables, to the extent of diversifying within vegetables. The final stage is mostly referred to as mixed farming where there is a shift of production resources from one crop (or livestock) to a larger mix of crops (or livestock) or mix of crops and livestock. Within this context, vegetable diversification is a sub-type of stage two, in which diversification is within one group of crops, in this case vegetables
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