Your search found 7 records
1 Heidenreich, A.; Grovermann, C.; Kadzere, I.; Egyir, I. S.; Muriuki, A.; Bandanaa, J.; Clottey, J.; Ndungu, J.; Blockeel, J.; Muller, A.; Stolze, M.; Schader, C. 2022. Sustainable intensification pathways in Sub-Saharan Africa: assessing eco-efficiency of smallholder perennial cash crop production. Agricultural Systems, 195:103304. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2021.103304]
Crop production ; Cash crops ; Smallholders ; Sustainable intensification ; Cocoa ; Coffee ; Macadamia ; Mangoes ; Environmental impact ; Economic value ; Organic farming ; Case studies ; Soil fertility ; Soil erosion ; Households / Africa South of Sahara / Ghana / Kenya
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050777)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308521X21002572/pdfft?md5=84b0f1382c836fb544361f4799e0ecd3&pid=1-s2.0-S0308521X21002572-main.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050777.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050777.pdf
(1.18 MB) (1.18 MB)
CONTEXT: Eco-efficiency offers a promising approach for the sustainable intensification of production systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), which is widely used for eco-efficiency analyses, is however sensitive to outliers and the analysis of the influence of external factors in the second stage requires the separability assumption to hold. Order-m estimators are proposed to overcome those disadvantages, but have been rarely applied in eco-efficiency analysis.
OBJECTIVE: This paper assesses the eco-efficiency of smallholder perennial cash crop production in Ghana and Kenya. It examines factors influencing eco-efficiency scores and in doing so, tests the application of order-m frontiers as a promising method for eco-efficiency analysis in the agricultural context.
METHODS: The analysis is performed for four selected perennial crop cases, namely cocoa, coffee, macadamia, and mango, applying DEA as well as the order-m approach to a comprehensive empirical dataset. Seven relevant environmental pressures as well as determining factors around capacity development, farm and farmer features, and crop production environment are considered.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The distribution of eco-efficiency estimates among coffee farms showed the widest spread, which indicates the greatest potential to increase eco-efficiency. However, also the dispersion of scores within the other crop cases suggests room for improvements of eco-efficiency within the current production context. The subsequent analysis of determinants based on the order-m scores revealed that eco-efficiency scores were strongly influenced by variables, which measure capacity development, and resource endowments, such as labor and land, whereas the crop production environment had some influence, but results were unspecific. Generally, a positive effect is highly context-specific. The results underline the importance of designing effective training modalities and policies that allow knowledge to be put into practice, which involves the creation of marketing opportunities, the provision of targeted and regular advisory services, as well as region-wide measures to build and maintain soil fertility in a sustainable manner.
SIGNIFICANCE: To our knowledge, this study presents the first attempt to apply inputoriented order-m frontiers to assess eco-efficiency in the agricultural context, comparing its eco-efficiency rankings to those estimated with the widely applied DEA approach. This can inform the discussion on robust eco-efficiency assessments.
OBJECTIVE: This paper assesses the eco-efficiency of smallholder perennial cash crop production in Ghana and Kenya. It examines factors influencing eco-efficiency scores and in doing so, tests the application of order-m frontiers as a promising method for eco-efficiency analysis in the agricultural context.
METHODS: The analysis is performed for four selected perennial crop cases, namely cocoa, coffee, macadamia, and mango, applying DEA as well as the order-m approach to a comprehensive empirical dataset. Seven relevant environmental pressures as well as determining factors around capacity development, farm and farmer features, and crop production environment are considered.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The distribution of eco-efficiency estimates among coffee farms showed the widest spread, which indicates the greatest potential to increase eco-efficiency. However, also the dispersion of scores within the other crop cases suggests room for improvements of eco-efficiency within the current production context. The subsequent analysis of determinants based on the order-m scores revealed that eco-efficiency scores were strongly influenced by variables, which measure capacity development, and resource endowments, such as labor and land, whereas the crop production environment had some influence, but results were unspecific. Generally, a positive effect is highly context-specific. The results underline the importance of designing effective training modalities and policies that allow knowledge to be put into practice, which involves the creation of marketing opportunities, the provision of targeted and regular advisory services, as well as region-wide measures to build and maintain soil fertility in a sustainable manner.
SIGNIFICANCE: To our knowledge, this study presents the first attempt to apply inputoriented order-m frontiers to assess eco-efficiency in the agricultural context, comparing its eco-efficiency rankings to those estimated with the widely applied DEA approach. This can inform the discussion on robust eco-efficiency assessments.
2 van Paassen, A.; Osei-Amponsah, Charity; Klerkx, L.; van Mierlo, B.; Essegbey, G. O. 2022. Partnerships blending institutional logics for inclusive global and regional food value chains in Ghana; with what smallholder effect?. European Journal of Development Research, 34(5):2179-2203. (Special issue: Policies for Inclusive Development in Sub-Saharan Africa) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41287-022-00530-4]
Value chains ; Smallholders ; Partnerships ; Innovation platforms ; Public-private partnerships ; Governance ; Cocoa / Ghana
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051239)
https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1057/s41287-022-00530-4.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051239.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051239.pdf
(0.68 MB) (699 KB)
We witness a promotion of hybrid partnerships, where actors with different competences and resources collaborate for smallholder inclusive value chain development. To better understand the functioning of these partnerships, we used institutional theory and studied the context of a global and emerging regional food value chains in Ghana, the blending of logics by key actors in Innovation Platforms and Public Private Partnerships, and their effect on value chain relations of smallholder farmers. In the global value chain of cocoa, partnerships adhered to ‘green revolution’ and ‘free-market’ logics, and provided all farmers material support. In the more informally organised regional food sector, local executing partners selectively coupled their logics with those of poor smallholders, who rely on low-input agriculture and solidarity logics to make ends meet. This improved the position and transaction costs of smallholders to participate in the value chain. Hence, it is more likely for partnerships to create smallholder inclusive governance in informally organised regional food value chains, than highly structured global value chains controlled by international buyers. To gain insight in the variety of political effects this triggers in different social–historical shaped farmer communities, households and actors, we recommend complementary local research from a critical institutional perspective.
3 Thompson, W. J.; Blaser-Hart, W. J.; Joerin, J.; Krutli, P.; Dawoe, E.; Kopainsky, B.; Chavez, E.; Garrett, R. D.; Six, J. 2022. Can sustainability certification enhance the climate resilience of smallholder farmers? The case of Ghanaian cocoa. Journal of Land Use Science, 17(1):407-428. (Special issue: Women in Land Science) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/1747423X.2022.2097455]
Climate resilience ; Sustainability ; Certification ; Smallholders ; Farmers ; Cocoa ; Climate change ; Food systems ; Governance ; Livelihoods ; Indicators ; Socioeconomic aspects ; Rural areas ; Fertilizers ; Econometric models / Ghana / Juabeso / Fanteakwa South / Abuakwa North / Suhum
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H051391)
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/1747423X.2022.2097455
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051391.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H051391.pdf
(5.93 MB) (5.93 MB)
Sustainability certification has been posited as a key governance mechanism to enhance the climate resilience of smallholder farmers. Whilst many certifications now include climate resilience in their standards, their ability to deliver this for smallholders remains untested. We take the case of the 2015–16 drought-shock to cocoa production in Ghana to examine whether certification can enhance smallholder climate resilience. We used a novel transdisciplinary methodology combining participatory outcome definition with household surveys, biophysical measurements, satellite data and counterfactual analysis. Utilising our climate resilience framework, we find that certification has a strong effect on the adoption of basic management, e.g. fertilization, but a weak influence on more complex resilience strategies, e.g. agroforest diversification. Beyond certification, we identify strong regional patterns in resilience. These findings suggest that certification has some potential to enhance climate resilience but greater focus on facilitating diversification and adapting to sub-national contexts is required for improved effectiveness.
4 Gbodji, Kekeli Kofi; Quarmine, William; Minh, Thai Thi. 2023. Effective demand for climate-smart adaptation: a case of solar technologies for cocoa irrigation in Ghana. Sustainable Environment, 9(1):2258472. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/27658511.2023.2258472]
Climate-smart agriculture ; Irrigation technology ; Solar powered irrigation systems ; Pumps ; Cocoa ; Farmer-led irrigation ; Innovation scaling ; Investment ; Smallholders ; Socioeconomic environment ; Climate change / Ghana / Mankraso / Tepa / Konongo / Obuasi / Goaso / Nkrankwanta / Sefwi-Bekwai / Bibiani / Asankrangwa / Samreboi / Diaso
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052232)
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/27658511.2023.2258472?needAccess=true
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052232.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052232.pdf
(2.25 MB) (2.25 MB)
Given the generally low adoption of early climate change response technologies among tree crop producers in sub-Saharan Africa, stakeholders interested in the commercialization or scaling of such technologies will require empirical evidence of their market prospects. Using a double-bounded contingent valuation approach, the study evaluated the willingness and ability of 523 Ghanaian producers to invest in solar-powered irrigation pumps (SPIPs) for cocoa irrigation. The sample was split into three segments based on farm size: resource-poor, resource-limited, and resource-rich. Our results show that effective demand increased across the resource segments, with resource-endowed farmers more likely to demand SPIPs than resource-limited or resource-poor farmers. Also, while willingness to invest (WTI) depended on resourcefulness (land), farmers’ ability to invest was directly related to their resource (income class) endowment. We found that WTI across the resource segments was positively influenced by income, education, livestock ownership, credit, and extension services and negatively affected by household size and age of cocoa trees. Among others, we propose that promotional strategies for SPIPs should incorporate well-planned initiatives for income diversification and microcredit services to improve the financial position of the resource-poor and limited segment to encourage the adoption of these technologies.
5 Akpoti, Komlavi; Dembele, Moctar; Forkuor, G.; Obuobie, E.; Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe; Cofie, Olufunke. 2023. Integrating GIS and remote sensing for land use/land cover mapping and groundwater potential assessment for climate-smart cocoa irrigation in Ghana. Scientific Reports, 13:16025. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-43286-5]
Climate-smart agriculture ; Cocoa ; Groundwater irrigation ; Land-use mapping ; Land cover mapping ; Groundwater potential ; Groundwater assessment ; Geographical information systems ; Remote sensing ; Surface water ; Water availability ; Climate change / Ghana
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052236)
(12.00 MB) (12.0 MB)
Although Ghana is a leading global cocoa producer, its production and yield have experienced declines in recent years due to various factors, including long-term climate change such as increasing temperatures and changing rainfall patterns, as well as drought events. With the increasing exposure of cocoa-producing regions to extreme weather events, the vulnerability of cocoa production is also expected to rise. Supplemental irrigation for cocoa farmers has emerged as a viable adaptation strategy to ensure a consistent water supply and enhance yield. However, understanding the potential for surface and groundwater irrigation in the cocoa-growing belt remains limited. Consequently, this study aims to provide decision-support maps for surface and groundwater irrigation potential to aid planning and investment in climate-smart cocoa irrigation. Utilizing state-of-the-art geospatial and remote sensing tools, data, and methods, alongside in-situ groundwater data, we assess the irrigation potential within Ghana's cocoa-growing areas. Our analysis identified a total area of 22,126 km2 for cocoa plantations and 125.2 km2 for surface water bodies within the cocoa-growing regions. The multi-criteria analysis (MCA) revealed that approximately 80% of the study area exhibits moderate to very high groundwater availability potential. Comparing the MCA output with existing borehole locations demonstrated a reasonable correlation, with about 80% of existing boreholes located in areas with moderate to very high potential. Boreholes in very high potential areas had the highest mean yield of 90.7 l/min, while those in low groundwater availability potential areas registered the lowest mean yield of 58.2 l/min. Our study offers a comprehensive evaluation of water storage components and their implications for cocoa irrigation in Ghana. While groundwater availability shows a generally positive trend, soil moisture and surface water have been declining, particularly in the last decade. These findings underline the need for climate-smart cocoa irrigation strategies that make use of abundant groundwater resources during deficit periods. A balanced conjunctive use of surface and groundwater resources could thus serve as a sustainable solution for maintaining cocoa production in the face of climate change.
6 Steinke, J.; Ivanova, Y.; Jones, S. K.; Minh, Thai; Sanchez, A.; Sanchez-Choy, J.; Mockshell, J. 2024. Digital sustainability tracing in smallholder context: ex-ante insights from the Peruvian cocoa supply chain. World Development Sustainability, 5:100185. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wds.2024.100185]
Digital technology ; Sustainability ; Cocoa ; Supply chains ; Value chains ; Blockchain technology ; Smallholders ; Farmers ; Private sector ; On-farm research ; Case studies / Peru / Ucayali
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H053187)
(869 KB)
Global demand for sustainable agri-food products creates opportunities for smallholder farmers. But on-farm verification of sustainable practices is costly, making third-party certification inaccessible to many poor farmers. Digital technologies for tracing agri-food products from farm to fork could help: novel traceability systems, based on blockchain technology, can make data about on-farm practices transparently available to downstream stakeholders, enabling them to verify sustainability claims without external audits. There is limited understanding, however, of how such digital tracing systems fit local needs and capacities in smallholder contexts. Through a grounded theory approach, we explore the potential of digital traceability for sustainability monitoring in a case study in the Ucayali region of Peru. Based on interviews with local cocoa sector stakeholders, we identify two major challenges: first, setting up digital traceability systems requires investments that do not seem justified by corresponding increases in income. And second, relying on farmer-supplied data creates the risk of inaccurate information due to insufficient capacity as well as incentives for providing distorted data. Our findings suggest that strong cooperation along the supply chain is needed to ensure adequate return on farmer-side costs and investments. Focusing on sustainability metrics at the community level, in addition to the farm level, may be promising, as these metrics can be reliably collected by external stakeholders and add value beyond existing third-party certification standards. Our case study provides recommendations for local policy makers and supply chain stakeholders to develop inclusive digital sustainability tracing systems with smallholder farmers.
7 Obahoundje, Salomon; Akpoti, Komlavi; Zwart, Sander J.; Tilahun, Seifu A.; Cofie, Olufunke. 2025. Implications of changes in water stress and precipitation extremes for cocoa production in Côte D’Ivoire and Ghana. International Journal of Climatology, 26p. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.8872]
Climate change adaptation ; Water stress ; Cocoa ; Precipitation ; Extreme weather events ; Drought ; Climate variability ; Evapotranspiration ; Soil water content ; Yields ; Strategies / West Africa / Côte d'Ivoire / Ghana
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H053744)
Climate change induces high variability in drought patterns and extreme precipitation indices in rainfed cocoa farming, impacting cocoa production. This study evaluated water stress, meteorological and agricultural drought conditions, and critical extreme precipitation indices in the world's two largest cocoa-producing nations from 1981 to 2022. The results revealed a significant reduction in total annual precipitation (PRCPTOT), in the last three decades, with the greatest decline in the 1991–2000 and 2011–2022 periods. Ghana experienced the most significant reduction up to 15% (200mm/year) in the last decade, attributed to a substantial decrease in wet days number (RR1) up to 25days per year, a reduction in maximum consecutive wet days (CWD) up to 6days per year, and an increase in maximum consecutive dry days (CDD) up to 15days per year. Moreover, there was a notable decline in the Simple Daily Intensity Index (SDII), with reductions of up to 4mm/day in certain areas, contributing to increased drought frequency, severity, and duration. In the most recent decade (2011–2022), particularly during the extremely dry years of 2013 and 2015, cocoa-growing regions in Ghana (GHA) and eastern Côte d'Ivoire (CIV) experienced prolonged agricultural drought expressed by soil moisture deficit, typically extending from May to September. Additionally, large portions of central and eastern Ghana, as well as northeastern Côte d'Ivoire experienced sustained water stress, with over three consecutive months of total monthly precipitation falling below 100mm, negatively impacting cocoa productivity. The decrease in the yield in the range of 2.5% to 37% was noted in the dry years and the following years, varying according to the country depending on the severity of the drought. Sensitivity analysis highlights cocoa yield's responsiveness to drought and water stress, particularly in specific years when water stress occurred, such as 1984,1985, 1989, 1995, 1999, 2000, and 2008. Considering the observed trends in precipitation patterns and their impact on cocoa production, it is crucial to acknowledge the inherent uncertainty of future precipitation patterns due to climate change. To address this challenge effectively, our study underscores the importance of identifying and closely monitoring regions currently facing water stress, as determined by precipitation and drought indicators. Over the analysed period (1981–2022), we have noted shifts in the distribution of water-stressed areas, highlighting the dynamic nature of this issue. Consequently, we advocate for a targeted approach to implement cocoa supplementary irrigation in consistently water-stressed regions.
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