Agriculture in Sustainable Rural Development

•                  TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ....................................................................................................................................... i Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................... ii List of Figures ........................................................................................................................... vi List of Tables ............................................................................................................................. vi List of Photos ........................................................................................................................... vii List of Appendices ................................................................................................................... vii Abbreviations and Acronyms .................................................................................................. viii 

Chapter ONE

INTRODUCTION

• ............................................................................................................................. 1 
• 1.1Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 1 
• 1.2Proposition, Research Objective and Research Questions ............................................... 2 
• 1.3Empirical Presentation of Study Area .............................................................................. 3 1.
• 3.1Location and Size ...................................................................................................... 5 1.
• 3.2Climate and Vegetation ............................................................................................. 6 1.
• 3.3Economy .................................................................................................................... 6 
• 1.4Smallholder agricultural Production in Ghana and in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality ..... 7 
• 1.5The Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy II (GPRS II 2006-2009). ........................ 10 1.
• 5.1Private Sector Competitiveness ............................................................................... 11 
• 1.6Method in Brief .............................................................................................................. 13  1.
• 6.1Research Strategy .................................................................................................... 13 1.
• 6.2Research Design ...................................................................................................... 13 1.
• 6.3Data Analysis .......................................................................................................... 14 

Chapter TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

• ........................................................................................................................... 17LITERATURE REVIEW and THEOTETICAL FRAMEWORK ......................................... 17 
• 2.1Literature Review ........................................................................................................... 17 2.
• 1.1Role of Agriculture in Sustainable Development ................................................... 17 2.
• 1.2Is the Pursuit of Agricultural Productivity the Ultimate Panacea for Rural Development? ................................................................................................................... 21 2.
• 1.3The GPRS II on Smallholder Agricultural Productivity ......................................... 24 2.
• 1.4Climate Change Adaptation in the Smallholder Agricultural Sector ...................... 27 2.
• 2.Theoretical Framework ................................................................................................. 28 2.
• 2.1A Framework for Policy-Livelihood Relationships ................................................ 28 2.
• 2.2Assets ............................................................................................................................... 29 2.
• 2.3Transforming Structures and Processes ........................................................................... 30 2.
• 2.4Livelihood Outcomes ....................................................................................................... 30 2.
• 2.5Livelihood Strategies ........................................................................................................ 30 2.
• 2.6Vulnerability Context ....................................................................................................... 31 2.
• 2.7Conceptual Framework of Sustainable Livelihoods Dynamics .............................. 31 2.3  Operationalisation of Key Concepts .............................................................................. 34 

Chapter THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

• ........................................................................................ 37 
• 3.1Research Design and Method ......................................................................................... 37 3.
• 1.1Data and Sample ...................................................................................................... 38 
• 3.2Qualitative Method ......................................................................................................... 40 
• 3.3Quantitative Method ....................................................................................................... 41 3.
• 3.1Methods of Quantitative Analysis ........................................................................... 41 
• 3.4Ethical Issues .................................................................................................................. 46 
• 3.5Limitations of the Study ................................................................................................. 48 

Chapter FOUR

DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

• ........................................................................................................................... 51 PRESENTATION OF EMPIRICAL FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS ................................ 51 PART 1: Agricultural Development Policy – Monitoring MOFA’s Compliance to the Action Plan .............................................................................................................................. 52 
• 4.1The National Level and Local Level Crop Development Policy of the GPRS II .......... 53 
• 4.2Alignment with Stakeholder Concerns .......................................................................... 61  PART 2: Interaction through Participation – Beneficiaries’ Level of Policy Awareness........65 
• 4.3Beneficiary Farmers: Active Participants in Agricultural Productivity and Development of their own Livelihoods? .................................................................................................... 65 4.
• 3.1Farmers Participation: The Demand Side ................................................................ 66 4.
• 3.2Roles of MOFA: The Supply Side of Participation ................................................ 71 
• 4.4Implications of Demand and Supply of Participation in Municipal Level Decision Making for Agricultural Productivity: Farmers’ Empowerment? ........................................ 75 PART 3: LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC WORKING CONDITIONS FOR SMALLHOLDER FARMERS ......................................................... 78 
• 4.5Local Environmental Conditions ................................................................................... 78 4.
• 5.1Local Knowledge and Perceptions on Climate Change .......................................... 80 
• 4.6Local Socio-Economic Working Conditions ................................................................. 84 4.
• 6.1Labour ..................................................................................................................... 86 4.
• 6.2Capital ..................................................................................................................... 87 4.
• 6.3Credit ....................................................................................................................... 90  4.
• 6.4Land ......................................................................................................................... 93 4.
• 6.5Production levels – Including Crop Yields and Producer Prices of Crops ............. 95 
• 4.7Livelihood Adaptation Assessment ................................................................................ 96 4.
• 7.1Local Adaptation to Climate Variability ............................................................ 97 4.
• 7.2Local Adaptation to Adversely Changing Socio-Economic Work Conditions ..... 100 PART 4: Monitoring Overall Impact: Productive Capital Assets of Smallholder Farmers ................................................................................................................................................ 102 
• 4.8Livelihood Asset Status Tracking Assessment ............................................................ 102 4.
• 8.1Natural Capital ...................................................................................................... 103 4.
• 8.2Financial Capital ................................................................................................... 105 4.
• 8.3Physical Capital ..................................................................................................... 107 4.
• 8.4Human Capital ....................................................................................................... 109 4.
• 8.5Social Capital ........................................................................................................ 111 4.
• 8.6Aggregated Assessment ........................................................................................ 114 
• 4.9Links between Farmers’ Capital Asset Development and Livelihood Resilience ....... 120 

Chapter FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

• ......................................................................................................................... 123 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............ 123 
• 5.1Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 123 
• 8.2Recommendations ........................................................................................................ 130 Bibliography ......................................................................................................................... 133 Appendices ............................................................................................................................ 139