Northeast Ghana Research Articles

Input credit scheme, farm productivity and food security nexus among smallholder rice farmers: evidence from North East Ghana

PurposeThis study examined the impact of the Input Credit Scheme (ICS) by the Integrated Water Management and Agriculture Development (IWAD) on the productivity and food security of smallholder rice farmers in Ghana.Design/methodology/approachCross-sectional data from 250 rice farming households in the Mamprugu Moagduri district of the North East Region obtained from a multi-stage sampling technique were used for the study. Inverse Probability Weighted Regression Adjustment (IPWRA), Propensity Score Matching (PSM) and Kendall's coefficient of concordance were the methods of analysis employed.FindingsEmpirical results show that education, rice farming experience, dependency ratio, FBO membership, farm size and farm age were the significant factors influencing participation in the input credit scheme (ICS). Also, participants had an average rice productivity of 1,476.83 kg/ha, whereas non-participants had 1,131.81 kg/ha implying that participants increased their productivity by about 30%. In addition, the study revealed that participant households increased their household dietary diversity (HDDS) by 0.45 points amounting to about 8% diversity in their diets. High-interest rates associated with credit received, the short periods of credit repayment and the high cost of inputs provided under the scheme were the most challenging constraints associated with partaking in the ICS.Practical implicationsThe available literature on agricultural interventions have predominantly emphasized input credit as a key factor for improving cropt productivity and food security of smallholders. This study provides compelling evidence that participation in ICSs can result in substantial benefits for agricultural development, as evidenced by increased productivity leading to improved food security. The significance of these findings is highlighted by the fact that, through participation in input credit schemes, smallholder rice farmers in many developing countries see substantial improvement in their capacity to access productive resources, thereby improving their productivity, while simultaneously reducing food insecurity.Social implicationsLeveraging on the improved productivity of participants in the ICS, this study advocates that such input credit schemes should scale up to more food-insecure farming communities in Ghana.Originality/valueThe study uses a doubly robust econometric approach to evaluate the impact of ICS on smallholder rice farmers' productivity and food security in Ghana, making it the first of its kind. The findings offer a solid basis for future research and provide guidance for policymakers looking to boost agricultural development in Ghana.

Depression and Quality of Life of People Accused of Witchcraft and Living in Alleged Witches’ Camps in Northern Ghana

In Northern and Northeast Ghana, women accused of witchcraft are banished from society to live in special locations designated “witches camps.” The processes leading to their banishment, admission, and living in the camps may affect their psychological wellbeing and quality of life. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of depression and assess the quality of life of 277 alleged witches in four camps located in these two regions in Ghana. A structured questionnaire was developed and administered using the open data collection kit (ODK). The Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8) and the World Health Organisation Quality of Life (WHOQOL) questionnaires were adopted to measure depression and health-related quality of life, respectively. The data were analysed using STATA version 16. The prevalence of depression among the alleged witches was 52.7%. Out of this, 37.2% had moderate depression, 7.2% had moderate or severe depression whilst 2.9% had severe depression. The sociodemographic factors that have a statistically significant association with depression included gender, marital status, being widowed or separated, and not having biological children. Over 97% of alleged witches have a low or extremely low quality of life. In conclusion, the majority of the people accused of witchcraft have a low or extremely low quality of life with high-probable depression.

Assessing farmers’ attitudes to, and the behavioural costs of, organic fertiliser practices in northern Ghana: An application of the behavioural cost approach

The use of organic fertiliser to improve soil health is crucial to halting the downward trend of crop yields in sub-Saharan Africa. If this goal is to be achieved, however, farmers require support to adopt organic fertiliser practices that match their attitudes and decision-making capacity. This study evaluated farmers' attitudes to a set of prevailing organic fertiliser practices and their associated behavioural costs (difficulty). The explanatory Rasch model was applied to a set of primary data from 250 farming households in north-east Ghana. The results showed that the average attitude of farmers was much less than the difficulty estimate of an average organic fertiliser practice, although the practices generally showed a moderate difficulty. On average, farmers' attitudes matched just three of sixteen practices on the scale, with most (70 %) of the farmers showing very weak attitudes towards the input. Latent regression results revealed that the weak attitude levels were strongly related to key factors in the farmers' background, including education, resource endowment and access to extension services. Participation in determining policies on organic fertiliser use enhances farmers' knowledge and skills concerning use of the input. Hence, access to such policies can replace education for the less-educated majority of farmers. Thus, training programmes are proposed that develop the average farmer's capacity to adopt these practices in this area, especially the less difficult ones. Supporting farmers with the acquisition of animal-drawn vehicles can also facilitate uptake of the more difficult organic fertiliser practices and increase use of the input.

Evidence of Climate Change Coping and Adaptation Practices by Smallholder Farmers in Northern Ghana

Evidence on how coping practices for immediate climate variations can transform into long-term adaptive capacity are relatively limited. This study addressed this gap by identifying the coping practices for short-term climate variations and the adaptation measures used by smallholder farmers to address future climate change in northeast Ghana. The paper used a mixed-methods approach, including household surveys, focus group discussions and key informant interviews. Data were collected from 555 households located in six communities across three districts in northeast Ghana. Results indicated that smallholder farmers were employing a host of practices to address the threats posed by climate change. Key adaptation practices included the planting of drought-tolerant crop varieties, the use of indigenous knowledge, intensification of irrigation, migration, adjusting the planting calendar, crop diversification, mixed farming, and sustainable land management practices. On the contrary, short-term coping practices reported by the study participants included the sale of non-farm assets, complementing agriculture with non-farm jobs, selling livestock, engaging in wage labor, charcoal burning and reliance on social networks. The results further revealed that barriers to climate change adaptation and coping practices differed by gender. The paper recommends that capacities of smallholder farmers in vulnerability hotspots should be enhanced to address immediate climate variations, as well as future climate changes. Ghana’s climate change and agricultural policies should prioritize adaptations by smallholder farmers in addressing threats posed by climate change.

Better Safe than Sorry: Local Impacts of Climate Change on Agricultural Activities in North-East Ghana

Water is precious and vulnerable simultaneously in the face of climate change impacts. Farmers respond differently to climate change impacts depending on available resources. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of access to water on smallholder farmers’ coping strategies to climate change impacts in the semi-arid zone (Aw climate). Using a mixed method approach, 6 focus group discussions, 10 key informant interviews and 148 questionnaires were administered to farmers. Quantitative data were analysed and presented using descriptive statistics whilst qualitative data were transcribed and discussed alongside. The study found that in coping with local climate change, farmers’ incomes are dependent on availability of water to supplement rainfall. Therefore, communities closer to the waters of the Tono irrigation dam have greater advantage over other communities that rely on waters from dugouts and wells. Also, income gained from farming is complemented with supplementary incomes from activities such as petty trading, carpentry and sale of farmers’ labour on other farms. Availability of water, particularly, during the dry season is a determinant factor of success in terms of good farm produce, income and better coping with local climate change impacts. To help these water-stressed farmers, the provision of sustainable sources of water is inevitable. The government and smallholders need to work together to solve the problem.

Institutional Feasibility of Managed Aquifer Recharge in Northeast Ghana

As part of global efforts to address the challenges that are confronting groundwater for various purposes (including irrigation), engineering methods such as Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) have been adopted. This wave of MAR has engulfed some parts of Northern Ghana, characterized by insufficient groundwater for dry-season irrigation. Inspired by the strides of these schemes, the paper assesses the institutional feasibility of MAR methods in the Atankwidi catchment where dry-season farmers may lose their source of livelihood due to limited access to groundwater. We used both primary and secondary data, together with policy documents, to address the following questions: (i) What provisions and impacts formal government institutions had for MAR, and; (ii) what catchment-level institutions exist which may influence MAR. The results show that formal government institutions do not prohibit the adoption of MAR in the country. Among these institutions, it is realized that laws/legislative instruments provide sufficient information and support for MAR than policies and administrative agencies. Moreover, catchment-level institutions which are informal in the form of taboos, rules, norms, traditions, and practices, together with local knowledge play a significant role as far as groundwater issues in the catchment are concerned, and are important for the adoption of MAR methods.

Groundwater Development for Dry Season Irrigation in North East Ghana: The Place of Local Knowledge

The use of groundwater resources for dry season irrigation has gained currency in Ghana. The north-east of the country has seen the cultivation of vegetables using groundwater from shallow aquifers; an emerging livelihood activity which lessens food insecurity and stems the tide of rural–urban migration. This practice in northern Ghana is deeply rooted in local knowledge. Using the Atankwidi catchment, this paper examines the role of local knowledge in understanding and exploiting groundwater for irrigation. A qualitative approach was used which allowed for in-depth catchment-level investigations, using group discussions, key informant interviews and informal discussions with irrigators, traditional leaders, earth priests, men, and women. Evidence from analysis revealed that local knowledge enabled farmers to locate groundwater points and determine the source and timing of groundwater recharge. Traditional communities are also able to identify the period for constructing wells. In addition, local knowledge enabled farmers to adopt strategies of conjunctively using groundwater with alternative water to cope with insufficient groundwater resources. We argue that local knowledge serves as a useful tool in sustaining dry season irrigation despite the challenges of a lack of government support and threats of global change.

Detecting local risk factors for residual malaria in northern Ghana using Bayesian model averaging

BackgroundThere is a need for comprehensive evaluations of the underlying local factors that contribute to residual malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. However, it is difficult to compare the wide array of demographic, socio-economic, and environmental variables associated with malaria transmission using standard statistical approaches while accounting for seasonal differences and nonlinear relationships. This article uses a Bayesian model averaging (BMA) approach for identifying and comparing potential risk and protective factors associated with residual malaria.ResultsThe relative influence of a comprehensive set of demographic, socio-economic, environmental, and malaria intervention variables on malaria prevalence were modelled using BMA for variable selection. Data were collected in Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo, a rural district in northeast Ghana that experiences holoendemic seasonal malaria transmission, over six biannual surveys from 2010 to 2013. A total of 10,022 children between the ages 6 to 59 months were used in the analysis. Multiple models were developed to identify important risk and protective factors, accounting for seasonal patterns and nonlinear relationships. These models revealed pronounced nonlinear associations between malaria risk and distance from the nearest urban centre and health facility. Furthermore, the association between malaria risk and age and some ethnic groups was significantly different in the rainy and dry seasons. BMA outperformed other commonly used regression approaches in out-of-sample predictive ability using a season-to-season validation approach.ConclusionsThis modelling framework offers an alternative approach to disease risk factor analysis that generates interpretable models, can reveal complex, nonlinear relationships, incorporates uncertainty in model selection, and produces accurate predictions. Certain modelling applications, such as designing targeted local interventions, require more sophisticated statistical methods which are capable of handling a wide range of relevant data while maintaining interpretability and predictive performance, and directly characterize uncertainty. To this end, BMA represents a valuable tool for constructing more informative models for understanding risk factors for malaria, as well as other vector-borne and environmentally mediated diseases.

Land Access, Agricultural Land Use Changes and Narratives about Land Degradation in the Savannahs of Northeast Ghana during the Pre-Colonial and Colonial Periods

This paper discusses the evolution of socio-cultural and political relations that defined access to, use, and management of land resources in northeast Ghana during the pre-colonial and colonial periods. The aim is to historicise current meta-narratives about degradation of the natural landscape in the rural savannahs of northeast Ghana. Many of those degradation narratives take their root in the past during the colonial era, but the conceptual underpinnings of those narratives have remained essentially a-historical, a-political, and a-cultural. This paper shows that the organisation of space and land uses in pre-colonial communities in northeast Ghana was governed by certain traditional knowledge systems which were ignored by the colonial authorities. While narratives about landscape degradation by natives were propagated by the colonial government to justify a need to preserve the environment, their attempts to control land management matters were essentially for political and economic reasons. The study concludes that current policy frameworks on desertification and land management need to move beyond inherent historical biases. Rather, attention ought to be given to critical historical reflections on the dynamic processes by which variations in socio-economic relations of resource access/use, farming practices, land tenure arrangements, and political agendas interact with changes in the biophysical environment to produce different land cover trajectories over time.

Perceptions of Socio-Ecological Changes and Their Implications on Changes in Farming Practises and Agricultural Land Uses in the Savannahs of Northeast Ghana

This study assesses the perceptions of local farming households in the savannahs of northeast Ghana about the patterns of ecological and social changes happening around them over the years. It then unpacks how those perceptions are influencing farming practices and agricultural land use changes. Theoretical and empirical understandings of the value of local resource users’ perceptual judgements about changes in their socio-ecological environment and how they respond to those changes have far-reaching implications for design of agricultural development and sustainable land management policies. Consideration of local perceptions offers more informed basis to design and implement agricultural development policies in ways that encourage active local participation, sustainable livelihoods development, and responsiveness to changing conditions. This departs from current conventional implementation systems, which are usually top-down and based on technical and political aspects of agricultural land management, but do not necessarily comprehend processes influencing the agency of local communities in shaping various agricultural land use outcomes.

Heat exposure on farmers in northeast Ghana.

Environmental health hazards faced by farmers, such as exposure to extreme heat stress, are a growing concern due to global climate change, particularly in tropical developing countries. In such environments, farmers are considered to be a population at risk of environmental heat exposure. The situation is exacerbated due to their farming methods that involve the use of primitive equipment and hard manual labour conducted in full sunshine under hot and humid conditions. However, there is inadequate information about the extent of heat exposure to such farmers, both at the household and farm levels. This paper presents results from a study assessing environmental heat exposure on rural smallholder farmers in Bawku East, Northern Ghana. From January to December 2013, Lascar USB temperature and humidity sensors and a calibrated Questemp heat stress monitor were deployed to farms and homes of rural farmers at Pusiga in Bawku East to capture farmers' exposure to heat stress in both their living and working environments as they executed regular farming routines. The Lascar sensors have the capability to frequently, accurately and securely measure temperature and humidity over long periods. The Questemp heat stress monitor was placed in the same vicinity and showed strong correlations to Lascar sensors in terms of derived values of wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT). The WBGT in the working environment of farmers peaked at 33.0 to 38.1°C during the middle of the day in the rainy season from March to October and dropped to 14.0-23.7°C in the early morning during this season. A maximum hourly WBGT of 28.9-37.5°C (March-October) was recorded in the living environment of farmers, demonstrating little relief from heat exposure during the day. With these levels of heat stress, exposed farmers conducting physically demanding outdoor work risk suffering serious health consequences. The sustainability of manual farming practices is also under threat by such high levels of heat exposure.

I Like You, I Like Your Pottery: An Ethnoarchaeological Approach to Ceramic Distribution and Acquisition in Northeastern Ghana

This article deals with the myriad determinants involved in pottery distribution in northeast Ghana, considered from a theoretical perspective that integrates the materiality of vessels and the social, political and historical context where both communities and pottery operate in their daily practice. Hence, we develop a comprehensive research strategy that combines emic and etic views covering the multiple dimensions of pottery life history. In this sense, production units, technical traditions and the characteristics of the redistributive centres, as well as the strategies for pottery acquisition, are studied. Special attention is paid to quite varied aspects such as the physical properties of vessels and their performance characteristics, the reputation of both vessels and potters according to the consumers and the mobility and connectivity patterns found in the study area. On the other hand, interpretations regarding the historical and sociopolitical context of the region are emphasised, as well as the interethnic relationships amongst groups inhabiting the area.

Adaptation and resilience to climate change and variability in north-east Ghana

North-east Ghana is characterised by frequent droughts and floods which adversely affect farming, the primary source of livelihood for majority of households in the region. Given the rapidly changing climate, these extreme events are expected to become more pervasive. This paper assesses the capacity of farm households to deal with climate-related risks. Using survey data from 409 farm households in three districts in north-east Ghana, this study specifically examines households' resilience to climate change and variability, and the determinants of the number and choice of adaptation measures adopted by households. Results from an indicator-based climate resilience assessment indicate that female-headed households and households located in Bongo district are less resilient to climate change and variability. The results also suggest that interventions aimed at building households' climate resilience should be mostly directed at raising household income, improving food security, and asset building. To enhance resilience to climate change and variability, households have mostly adopted a combination of autonomous adaptation measures, such as altering the timing of planting, use of drought tolerant and early maturing crop varieties, and switching to crops that are less sensitive to climate stress. Employing Poisson and multivariate probit regression models, it was found that increasing farmers' knowledge of climate change as well as building the capacity of extension agents to deliver information on climate change and appropriate adaptation measures are key to successful adaptation in the study region.

Barriers of Adaptation to Heat Stress in Northeast Ghana

Barriers of Adaptation to Heat Stress in Northeast Ghana

Mercury Exposure Assessment and Spatial Distribution in A Ghanaian Small-Scale Gold Mining Community.

Mercury is utilized worldwide in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) and may pose a risk for miners and mining communities. While a number of studies have characterized mercury in ASGM communities, most have focused on a single media and few have taken a holistic approach. Here, a multiple media exposure assessment and cross-sectional study of mercury was conducted in 2010 through 2012 in northeast Ghana with a small-scale gold mining community, Kejetia, a subsistence farming community, Gorogo, and an urban ASGM gold refinery in Bolgatanga. The objective was to assess mercury in a range of human (urine and hair) and ecological (household soil, sediment, fish, and ore) samples to increase understanding of mercury exposure pathways. All participants were interviewed on demographics, occupational and medical histories, and household characteristics. Participants included 90 women of childbearing age and 97 adults from Kejetia and 75 adults from Gorogo. Median total specific gravity-adjusted urinary, hair, and household soil mercury were significantly higher in Kejetia miners (5.18 µg/L, 0.967 µg/g, and 3.77 µg/g, respectively) than Kejetia non-miners (1.18 µg/L, 0.419 µg/g, and 2.00 µg/g, respectively) and Gorogo participants (0.154 µg/L, 0.181 µg/g, and 0.039 µg/g) in 2011. Sediment, fish, and ore Hg concentrations were below guideline values. Median soil mercury from the Bolgatanga refinery was very high (54.6 µg/g). Estimated mean mercury ingestion for Kejetia adults from soil and dust exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reference dose (0.3 µg Hg/kg·day) for pica (0.409 µg Hg/kg·day) and geophagy (20.5 µg Hg/kg·day) scenarios. Most participants with elevated urinary and household soil mercury were miners, but some non-miners approached and exceeded guideline values, suggesting a health risk for non-mining residents living within these communities.

Barriers to climate change adaptation: evidence from northeast Ghana in the context of a systematic literature review

Despite the international significance attached to climate change adaptation, there remains a lack of understanding of the barriers that impede the effective implementation of adaptation strategies by households across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Better understanding of the vulnerability of agriculture-dependent households to climate variability requires exploration of the barriers that constrain the implementation of adaptation strategies. This paper uses case studies from northeast Ghana and a systematic literature review to assess the barriers that restrict effective implementation of climate adaptations in SSA. Results suggest that households are constrained by financial barriers, socio-cultural barriers, institutional barriers, technological barriers and a lack of information on climate change characteristics. We examine how the various barriers interact at different levels to influence the adaptation process. Findings highlight that the development of early warning systems, effective communication of climate information and an understanding of the local context within which adaptations take place, are necessary pre-requisites to enhance climate adaptations and rural livelihoods. Households need to be supported through the provision of micro-credit schemes, community empowerment and extension initiatives aimed at enhancing social networks within farming communities in order to reduce their vulnerability to the adverse impacts of climate change and variability.

Fluoride contamination in the Bongo District of Ghana, West Africa: geogenic contamination and cultural complexities

This research investigated the extent of fluoride contamination in the Bongo District of northeast Ghana and the relationships of this fluoride contamination to the underlying geology and precipitation patterns, social and cultural attitudes towards water, and age divisions inherent in water usage patterns and the consequent demands placed on a borehole. The fluoride concentrations measured in the area are higher than reported in earlier literature. High fluoride levels are geographically confined to one geologic formation and appear to be inversely correlated to regional precipitation. Fluoride variation studies, tracking concentrations over 8 months, also reflect this link to local precipitation patterns. This localized analysis of water contamination issues addresses broader gender and policy issues inherent in supplying potable water.

Determinants of epidemiologic transition in rural Africa: the role of socioeconomic status and drinking water source.

Many African countries experience a protracted epidemiologic transition, different from the classical transition in western societies. The factors driving this protracted transition are largely unknown. In northeast Ghana, we studied an ongoing epidemiologic transition and investigated the effects of socioeconomic status and drinking water source on the transition. During a 9-year period, we followed a cohort of almost 30 000 individuals and collected information on mortality and fertility rates. In addition, using the standards set out by the WHO, we obtained the causes of death by verbal autopsy. Individuals were stratified according to their socioeconomic status and the households' use of an improved or unimproved drinking water source. Mortality rates decreased by -5.0% annually (p<0.001) and the main cause of death shifted from infectious to non-infectious diseases (p=0.014). General fertility rates and child-women ratios decreased annually by -12.7% (p<0.001) and -11.9% (p<0.001), respectively. There was no difference in the decline of mortality and fertility depending on socioeconomic status or drinking water source. Factors other than socioeconomic status and drinking water source are responsible for the observed declines in mortality and fertility observed during the protracted epidemiologic transition. Identifying the specific determinants of the ongoing transition is of importance, as they could be targeted in order to further improve public health in rural African countries.

Behind the Myth: Indigenous Knowledge and Belief Systems in Natural Resource Conservation in North East Ghana

Natural resource management issues in developing countries are increasingly mimicking western theories and the contribution of indigenous cultures and institutions are often overlooked. This research examines the role traditional belief systems and indigenous knowledge and practices have played in the management and conservation of natural environmental resources in the Upper East Region of Ghana. Some cultural practices and belief systems like sacrifices, worship, the Tindaanaship organization and the Tingaane civilization and how the Tindaanas (chief priest) communicates through the Tingaane (shrines and sacred groves) to the ancestral spirits or gods, how the people are punished if the gods are provoked were examined. The study revealed that the significant attribute of the belief systems that rest on the ascription of supernatural powers to some parts of the environment as the home of the gods has significantly helped to conserve the natural environment. The protection of these homes/areas from utilization, exploitation and use explicitly encourages conservation of environmental resources. Forbidden areas and totemic items/objects associated with worship immensely promoted conservation of resources. Over the years, traditional belief systems, practices and indigenous knowledge strategies that conserve the natural resources have been eroded or corroded by western cultural infiltration and religion. The study recommends a re-visitation of the traditional belief systems and cultural practices that promote the management, preservation and conservation of natural resources for the sustainable development of the Upper East Region and the nation at large.

Ceramic transactions in a multi-ethnic area (Upper East Ghana)

Pottery distribution studies have usually focused on the economical value of the products, means of transport, labour organisation, and the technological and typological characteristics of the pottery. This paper attempts, from an ethnoarchaeological perspective, to emphasise other variables, including the social relationships and ideological aspects in the creation of complex pottery exchange networks. These phenomena are essential to achieving a deeper understanding of how communities produce, distribute and use ceramics. The case study we present is centred in the multi-ethnic Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo and Garu-Tempane districts in northeast Ghana. In this region, the aspects that affect the ceramic distribution and consumption patterns are multiple: mobility infrastructures, such as roads and transport means; production scales and pot quality; labour organisation; and territoriality or settlement systems. Nevertheless, social and familial relationships as well as different social perceptions established among the various ethnic groups are active agents that determine the distribution areas, networks and trade systems as well as the consumers' pottery choices.