Abstract:
Though Ghana has made significant development progress in the last decade and is
often hailed as a success story in African development, progress has not been equally
shared between the north and south of Ghana. Northern Ghana is affected by its
remoteness from Ghana‟s economic core, fragile soil fertility, one rather than two
growing seasons, volatile climatic conditions, and a history of marginalization from
the national agenda. Consequently, the five northern regions of Ghana have higher
incidences of poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition. Although the Government of
Ghana (GoG) recognizes the importance of improving the productivity of
smallholders in order to transform the agricultural sector, an emphasis on commercial
agriculture and market-oriented growth risks excluding poorer, more food insecure
smallholders in northern Ghana. These farmers often face entry barriers stemming
from their low quality and quantity of agricultural production, limited access to
improved inputs and extension support, lack of access to credit, few productive
assets, weak links to markets, and aversion to risk. There is therefore a need for
interventions that directly support poorer men and women smallholder farmers in
Northern Ghana to reduce their vulnerability and food insecurity.
Description:
A dissertation in the Department of Economics Education,
Faculty of Social Science Education, submitted to the School of
Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment
of the requirement for the award of the degree of
Master of Science
(Economics Education)
in the University of Education, Winneba
