Farmer response to vulnerability in Ghana: Information flow and uptake of new crop varieties for climate change adaptation in rural Ghana

• Climate information is important for climate vulnerability reduction and resilience building • Climate information flow and uptake influence climate change adaptation. • External development partners play key role in climate information dissemination among smallholder farmers. • Kinship and family relations support climate information dissemination. Climate information uptake for adaptation is recognized globally. This is because of its crucial role in minimizing climate risks. Generally, studies have investigated climate services for adaptation in Ghana. However, climate information flow and uptake of new crop varieties for adaptation are limited in Ghana. This study aims to examine climate information and crop farmers’ uptake of new crop varieties for adaptation. The study utilizes a mixed methods approach with 397 indigenous crop farmers in North Western Ghana. Descriptive and thematic analysis from administered questionnaire and focus group discussions reveal that external agency plays an important role in the introduction of new technology/knowledge, but social and kinship ties and networks are the primary drivers of dissemination and uptake of climate information for new crop uptake for climate change adaptation. The practical and policy considerations of the study are discussed.