Connecting the Dots: How Communication Strategies Shape Climate Response Behaviors among Smallholder Maize Farmers in Bongo District, Ghana

Amid growing climate variability, effective communication strategies are vital in shaping how smallholder farmers in Bongo District adopt climate-resilient agricultural practices and respond to environmental challenges. We collected data from 133 smallholder maize farmers selected using multi-stage sampling. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the quantitative data. Our results show local champions (57%), community durbars (99.29%) and government announcement (95%) are the key communication strategies used. Household headship, access to extension services, and membership in farmer groups (p < 0.05 each) are strong and consistent predictors of exposure across all three communication strategies. The average level of awareness and knowledge of climate-resilient agricultural practices among farmers is 3.621. The one-sample t-test results show that the communication strategies were effective in improving inputs, processes, and knowledge acquisition among farmers (p < 0.05), but they did not lead to significant changes in the application of practices or tangible farm-level impacts. Farmers face literacy barriers, logistical challenges and limited access to mass media in implementing climate-resilient agricultural practices. We advocate for the incorporation of personalized, farmer-centric communication strategies by integrating local knowledge and tailoring climate-resilient agricultural messages to the specific needs and conditions of farmers.