Combating land degradation for sustainable smallholder agriculture and food sovereignty in Ghana’s Volta Region
The severe and accelerating loss of land quality and productivity is widely acknowledged at all geographic scales, from the global scale down to the local level, across the world. Global food yield has decreased by 13% as a result of the 40% moderate degradation and 9% severe degradation of agricult...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1455515/full |
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| author | Armstrong Francis Tumawu George Yao Kafu Anthony Kangah Mary Magdalene M. Tumawu |
| author_facet | Armstrong Francis Tumawu George Yao Kafu Anthony Kangah Mary Magdalene M. Tumawu |
| author_sort | Armstrong Francis Tumawu |
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| description | The severe and accelerating loss of land quality and productivity is widely acknowledged at all geographic scales, from the global scale down to the local level, across the world. Global food yield has decreased by 13% as a result of the 40% moderate degradation and 9% severe degradation of agricultural land. This study examines the dynamics of land degradation and its impacts on smallholder agriculture and food sovereignty in Ghana’s Volta Region, focusing on the Ho Municipality. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research combines remote sensing analysis, quantitative surveys of 200 smallholder farmers, and qualitative interviews with experts and farmers. Findings reveal a concerning trend of increasing land degradation, with areas experiencing degradation rising from 2% in 2013 to 5% in 2023. The study demonstrates significant impacts on crop yields and farm income, with 87% of surveyed farmers reporting negative effects on their crop production due to land degradation. Smallholder farmers have adopted various coping strategies, with compost application (62.5%) and chemical fertilizer use (60%) being the most prevalent practices. The research highlights a discrepancy between scientific measurements and farmers’ perceptions of land degradation, emphasizing the importance of integrating local knowledge with technical assessments. The study contributes to the existing literature by providing a detailed, localized analysis of land degradation dynamics and their implications for smallholder agriculture and food sovereignty in the region. It offers valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners, underscoring the urgent need for targeted interventions to address land degradation while supporting sustainable agriculture and food security in Ghana and similar contexts. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a82ba7f1e6a44f26a1fb396262df98a1 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2571-581X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems |
| spelling | doaj-art-a82ba7f1e6a44f26a1fb396262df98a12025-01-31T16:25:32ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems2571-581X2025-01-01910.3389/fsufs.2025.14555151455515Combating land degradation for sustainable smallholder agriculture and food sovereignty in Ghana’s Volta RegionArmstrong Francis Tumawu0George Yao Kafu1Anthony Kangah2Mary Magdalene M. Tumawu3Department of Geography and Resource Development, University of Ghana, Accra, GhanaDepartment of Social Science, Peki College of Education, Peki, GhanaFaculty of Social Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, GhanaDepartment of Geography and Resource Development, University of Ghana, Accra, GhanaThe severe and accelerating loss of land quality and productivity is widely acknowledged at all geographic scales, from the global scale down to the local level, across the world. Global food yield has decreased by 13% as a result of the 40% moderate degradation and 9% severe degradation of agricultural land. This study examines the dynamics of land degradation and its impacts on smallholder agriculture and food sovereignty in Ghana’s Volta Region, focusing on the Ho Municipality. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research combines remote sensing analysis, quantitative surveys of 200 smallholder farmers, and qualitative interviews with experts and farmers. Findings reveal a concerning trend of increasing land degradation, with areas experiencing degradation rising from 2% in 2013 to 5% in 2023. The study demonstrates significant impacts on crop yields and farm income, with 87% of surveyed farmers reporting negative effects on their crop production due to land degradation. Smallholder farmers have adopted various coping strategies, with compost application (62.5%) and chemical fertilizer use (60%) being the most prevalent practices. The research highlights a discrepancy between scientific measurements and farmers’ perceptions of land degradation, emphasizing the importance of integrating local knowledge with technical assessments. The study contributes to the existing literature by providing a detailed, localized analysis of land degradation dynamics and their implications for smallholder agriculture and food sovereignty in the region. It offers valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners, underscoring the urgent need for targeted interventions to address land degradation while supporting sustainable agriculture and food security in Ghana and similar contexts.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1455515/fullland degradationsmallholderagriculturefood sovereigntyVolta regionremote sensing |
| spellingShingle | Armstrong Francis Tumawu George Yao Kafu Anthony Kangah Mary Magdalene M. Tumawu Combating land degradation for sustainable smallholder agriculture and food sovereignty in Ghana’s Volta Region Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems land degradation smallholder agriculture food sovereignty Volta region remote sensing |
| title | Combating land degradation for sustainable smallholder agriculture and food sovereignty in Ghana’s Volta Region |
| title_full | Combating land degradation for sustainable smallholder agriculture and food sovereignty in Ghana’s Volta Region |
| title_fullStr | Combating land degradation for sustainable smallholder agriculture and food sovereignty in Ghana’s Volta Region |
| title_full_unstemmed | Combating land degradation for sustainable smallholder agriculture and food sovereignty in Ghana’s Volta Region |
| title_short | Combating land degradation for sustainable smallholder agriculture and food sovereignty in Ghana’s Volta Region |
| title_sort | combating land degradation for sustainable smallholder agriculture and food sovereignty in ghana s volta region |
| topic | land degradation smallholder agriculture food sovereignty Volta region remote sensing |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1455515/full |
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