Assessing Indigenous Food Systems and Cultural Knowledges Among Smallholder Farmers in Ghana: Towards Environmental Sustainability Education and Development

Suleyman Mohammed Demi Doctor of Philosophy Department of Social Justice Education, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education University of Toronto 2019 Abstract Africa is expected to experience elevated temperatures and frequent drought that will decrease crop yields by half (Boko et al., 2007). Unpredictable weather patterns negatively impact Indigenous food systems (IFSs) across Africa, including Ghana. This study sought to (a) examine Indigenous food production practices among smallholder farmers in Ghana; (b) investigate how cultural knowledge(s) offer pedagogical lessons in environmental sustainability education in Ghanaian schools; (c) identify specific environmental challenges and adaptation strategies confronting smallholder farmers in their food production activities and their implications on IFSs and farmersʼ livelihoods; and (c) identify the implications of development as understood by smallholder farmers on IFSs. The study is grounded in three theoretical frameworks: political ecology, anti-colonial theory, and Indigenous knowledge (IK) perspectives. The mixed-methods study surveyed 136 participants and selected 105 for in-depth interviews and focus group discussions in addition to workshops, participant observations, and document analysis. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS 24 and Excel while coding and thematization using NVivo software for qualitative data. Results indicate that although smallholder farmers use considerable IK in in their farming practices with Indigenous food crops—including soil and seed selection, food processing and preservation, management of various diseases, and adaptation to adverse environmental conditions—IK is seldom taught in schools. The study further indicates farmers face numerous environmental challenges including prolonged drought, deforestation, indiscriminate grazing, and misuse of agrochemicals, resulting in acute water shortages, extinction of Indigenous food crops, and increases in poor health and social insecurity. Participants understand development as any happenings in human life both negative and positive be it on a personal, community, or nationwide scale. The study recommends that civil society and farmer groups should demand the government of Ghana to improve its meteorological resources and services for greater precision in weather forecasting and better support farmers in growing both Indigenous and new varieties of crops. Research institutions should identify Indigenous sciences that can be included in the science curriculum to augment Western-based sciences.Ph.D.2021-11-13 00:00:0