Field diagnosis of farmers’ adaptation challenges to climate change in the agricultural urban landscapes

Abstract

Climate change presents a significant challenge to urban agriculture, as shifts in weather patterns lead to extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, and storms, consequently destroying crops and livestock. However, it remains unclear how urban farmers adapt to these impacts and what strategies they employ to mitigate climate-related challenges. This study selected 85 urban farmers across three selected locations in Kumasi, Ghana to investigate the adaptation practices and challenges, aiming to inform agricultural and urban planning efforts. Factor analysis, Ordinal regression and Relative Importance Index (RII) were used to analyse the quantitative data, while content analysis was used for qualitative data. The study identified three key adaptation strategies. First, farmers prefer planting local crop varieties over foreign seeds due to their reliable germination; second, some farmers expand their farms to boost production; and third, others relocate to different sites to allow exhausted land to regain fertility. However, these adaptation strategies are hindered by several challenges such as institutional and technological limitations, financial constraints and lack of access to climate information, and delays in extension support and adaptation efforts. The study also found that socioeconomic factors such as farm income, land ownership, and membership in farmer associations also influence the adoption of certain practices. These findings highlight the urgent need for the agricultural and physical planning departments to regularly monitor urban farming activities and give urban farmers the necessary attention. This will help identify urban farmers’ needs − tools, equipment, extension services, and modern technology thus enhancing climate resilience and sustainable urban agriculture.