Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA)-Climate Smart Information Services (CIS) Prioritization in Ghana: Smart Assessments and Outcomes

Climate change continoulsy affects efficient farm productivity among smallholder famrers in Ghana and other parts of West Africa. Efforts have been made by farmers and policy makers in mitigating the effects of climate change on livelihhods. Hitherto, these efforts lacked complementarity and adhoc in adaptation among worst affected areas. Advancement in CSA practices therefore called for prioritization based on identified enablers in commodity value chains and within geographical areas. These enablers under the AICCRA-Ghana project consist of climate smartness (mitigation, adaptation and productivity), gender and social inclusion (labour requirements, youth involvement and women friendliness), achieving one-health (pest load reduction, soil nutrient improvement, reducing soil-water pollution, promoting crop-livestock integration, lowers GHG emissions, contributes to lowering incidences of disease to humans, and preserves biodiversity), and addressing end-user friendliness (technical feasibility, and cost effectiveness among male and female end-users). On-farm composting, organic amendment to improving soil fertility, enhanced biopesticide use in potato system, promotion of disease and pest tolerant varieties and vine technology were the top 5 prioritized CSA practices for AICCRA intervention for the Central region. Promotion of disease and pest tolerant maize, cowpea and yam varities, minimum tillage, seedbed options with ridging as an alternative to mounding, water management (mulching), and promotion of drought, early maturing, and striga resistant seed varieties were CSAs prioritized in the Bonno East region. Northern, North-East and Savanna regions of Ghana identified minimum tillage, mucuna pruriens or cowpea/maize intercropping-yam rotation to build soil Carbon stocks, leguminous crops as previous crop to yam and maize, organic amendment for improving soil health, and promotion of stress (drought, early maturing, striga and low N ) tolerant improved maize, cowpea, yam and potato varieties were prioritized. Specifically to the Climate Smart Villages (CSVs), leguminous crops as previous crop to cereals and promotion of disease and pest tolerant seed varieties were simultaneously given high priority. Enhanced biopesticide use in maize, cowpea, potato and vegetable systems, mucuna pruriens or cowpea /maize intercropping to build soil C stocks, minimum tillage for maize and cowpea and vegetable production, water management (mulching) and promotion of stress (drought, early maturing, striga and low N) tolerant improved varieties were prioritized in the Upper West and Upper East regions along maize, cowpea and tomato value chains. Due to the complementary nature of CSA-CIS practices, 5 bundles were created and common products for sustainable financing included improved and drought tolerant seeds, water management (small scale irrigation), seasonal calenders and soil fertility improvement products