At the CAREE conference, I’m presenting my paper on “Assessing Farmers’ Preparedness to Cope with the Effects of Multiple Climate Change-Related Hazards in Ghana,” which explores how smallholder farmers, the backbone of Ghana’s agriculture, are responding to the increasing threats of climate variability, including droughts, floods, and pest outbreaks. It examines their level of awareness, adaptation capacity, access to extension services, and the social and institutional support systems that influence their resilience.
This study contributes to the broader dialogue on climate-smart agriculture and rural advisory systems, offering insights that can guide policymakers, development partners, and agribusinesses in designing targeted interventions to strengthen farmers’ adaptive capacity.
What inspired me is witnessing firsthand how unpredictable weather patterns continue to affect farmers’ yields and livelihoods, often leaving them without adequate support or early warning systems.
To motivate participants, I’ll emphasize that resilience begins with awareness and collaboration, that every stakeholder in the agricultural value chain, from researchers to advisors to farmers, has a role to play in shaping a more climate-resilient future for African agriculture.