Adapt or Perish? Local stakeholders’ responses to climate change in Ghana’s cocoa-growing regions

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Climatic pressure on cocoa production in Ghana is well documented, and adaptation research in the sector has concentrated almost entirely on smallholder farmers. Little is known about how other actors along the cocoa supply chain perceive climate change and their own capacity to support adaptation. This study explored how local stakeholders in cocoa-growing communities perceive climate change impacts, adaptation measures and adaptive capacities. A descriptive phenomenological design was used. Data were collected through three focus group discussions, one each in the Ashanti, Western and Western North regions, with 24 purposively selected stakeholders: chief farmers, license buying company representatives, Cocoa Disease and Pest Control gang supervisors and agro-input sellers. Thematic analysis was conducted, and the findings are presented using the Moser and Ekstrom adaptation process model. Stakeholders perceived increased pests and diseases, erratic rainfall and declining soil fertility as current impacts of climate change, and attributed unemployment, urban migration and water scarcity, wholly or partly, to it. They perceived livelihood diversification, training in sustainable farming practices and institutional support for irrigation as important adaptation measures. Each stakeholder group described a distinct perceived capacity to support adaptation. These perceived capacities were complementary in input supply and use and overlapped in financial access, yet no stakeholder group described a perceived capacity to support diversification, climate information or cross-group coordination. The findings reflect perceptions and attributions, not independently measured or causally demonstrated relationships. Community-based adaptation committees could help align adaptation planning with these perceived capacities. Not applicable.