Social Differences in the Vulnerability and Adaptation Patterns among Smallholder Farmers: Evidence from Lawra District in the Upper West Region of Ghana.

Abstract

There is growing attention on socially differentiated stakeholder groups in understanding vulnerability and adaptation to climate change. However, empirical research on smallholder farmers in Ghana has not paid adequate attention to social differentiation among smallholder farmers. This study sought to assess the perception of vulnerability and adaptation strategies of socially differentiated groups of smallholder farmers to climate change in Lawra district, north-western Ghana. Gender and age axis of social differentiation are the major focus of this work. The study employed a mix method study design involving 8 FGDs and 160 questionnaire surveys among smallholder farmers. Kendell’s W rank correlation was used to rank constrains identified, descriptive statistics and chi-square was used to determine adaptation patterns among different social groups. Results suggest that, smallholder farmers are not homogenous. Rather, males and females and youth and older folks differ in their perception of vulnerability and subsequent adaptation strategies. The results highlight the need for adaptation interventions that pay attention to different stakeholder needs in reducing smallholder farmers’ vulnerability.

Key words: social differentiation, smallholders, adaptation, vulnerability, age, gender.