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Benefits of farmer managed natural regeneration to food security in semi-arid Ghana

Author

Listed:
  • Seth Opoku Mensah

    (University of Technology Sydney)

  • Suglo-Konbo Ibrahim

    (World Vision Ghana
    University of Ghana)

  • Brent Jacobs

    (University of Technology Sydney)

  • Rebecca Cunningham

    (University of Technology Sydney
    The Climate Risk Group)

  • Derrick Owusu-Ansah

    (Technical Education Development for Modernised Agriculture in Ghana (TEDMAG) Project)

  • Evans Adjei

    (Umea University)

Abstract

Promoting Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) aims to increase the productive capacities of farmer households. Under FMNR, farmers select and manage natural regeneration on farmlands and keep them under production. While FMNR contributes to the wealth of farming communities, its contribution to household food security has rarely been researched. We, therefore, used a mixed-methods approach to address the research gap by measuring FMNR’s contribution to food security among farmer households in the Talensi district of Ghana. We adopted the Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) and Food Consumption Score (FCS) to estimate food security status among 243 FMNR farmer households and 243 non-FMNR farmer households. Also, we performed a Chi-square test of independence to compare the frequency of each food group (present vs not present) between FMNR adopters and non-FMNR adopters to establish the relationship between adopting FMNR and consuming the FCS and HDDS food groups. Our results reveal that FMNR farmer households are more food secure than non-FMNR farmer households. The HHDS of the FMNR farmer households was 9.6, which is higher than the target value of 9.1. Conversely, the HHDS of the non-FMNR farmer households was 4.3, which is lower than the target value of 9.1. Up to 86% and 37% of the FMNR farmer households and non-FMNR farmer households fell within acceptable FCS; 15% and 17% of FMNR farmer households and non-FMNR farmer households fell within borderline FCS. While none of the FMNR farmer households fell within poor FCS, 46% of non-FMNR farmer households fell within poor FCS. Adopting FMNR is significantly related to consuming all food groups promoted and benefiting from FMNR practices. The paper recommends enabling farmers in semi-arid environments to practice and invest in FMNR for long-term returns to food security.

Suggested Citation

  • Seth Opoku Mensah & Suglo-Konbo Ibrahim & Brent Jacobs & Rebecca Cunningham & Derrick Owusu-Ansah & Evans Adjei, 2024. "Benefits of farmer managed natural regeneration to food security in semi-arid Ghana," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 41(3), pages 1177-1193, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:agrhuv:v:41:y:2024:i:3:d:10.1007_s10460-024-10546-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s10460-024-10546-7
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    References listed on IDEAS

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