Traditional agroecological knowledge and practices:The drivers and opportunities for adaptation actions in the northern region of Ghana

Agroecological practices are promoted as a more proactive approach than conventional agriculture to achieving a collective global response to climate change and variability while building robust and resilient agricultural systems to meet food needs and protect the integrity of ecosystems.There is relatively limited evidence on the key traditional agroecological knowledge and practices adopted by smallholder farmers,the factors that influence smallholder farmers’decision to adopt these practices,and the opportunities it presents for building resilient agricultural systems.Using a multi-scale mixed method approach,we conducted key informant interviews(n=12),focus group discussions(n=5),and questionnaire surveys(N=220)to explore the traditional agroecological knowledge and practices,the influencing factors,and the opportunities smallholder farmers presented for achieving resilient agricultural systems.Our findings suggest that smallholder farmers employ a suite of traditional agroecological knowledge and practices to enhance food security,combat climate change,and build resilient agricultural systems.The most important traditional agroecological knowledge and practices in the study area comprise cultivating leguminous crops,mixed crop-livestock systems,and crop rotation,with Relative Importance Index(RII)values of 0.710,0.708,and 0.695,respectively.It is reported that the choice of these practices by smallholder farmers is influenced by their own farming experience,access to market,access to local resources,information,and expertise,and the perceived risk of climate change.Moreover,the results further show that improving household food security and nutrition,improving soil quality,control of pest and disease infestation,and support from NonGovernmental Organizations(NGOs)and local authorities are opportunities for smallholder farmers in adopting traditional agroecological knowledge and practices for achieving resilient agricultural systems.The findings call into question the need for stakeholders and policy-makers at all levels to develop capacity and increase the awareness of traditional agroecological knowledge and practices as mechanisms to ensure resilient agricultural systems for sustainable food security.

Removing barriers to healthcare through an intercultural healthcare system:Focus group evidence

Objective:Barriers to healthcare in Ghana are multifaceted.Many people,including patients and providers,face them at different levels.To address these barriers,there is a need to explore the role of an intercultural healthcare system.This paper explores and provides the first evidence on ways through which an intercultural healthcare system can reduce the sociocultural and economic barriers to healthcare in Ghana.Methods:Focus group discussions with 35 participants comprising 17 healthcare users,11 formal healthcare providers and 7 alternative healthcare providers were conducted to gather data.Thematic analyses were performed on the transcribed data and presented based on a posteriori inductive reduction approach.Results:Findings reveal that an intercultural healthcare system in Ghana can help reduce barriers to healthcare,especially cultural,social and economic barriers,by fostering an enhanced relationship between culture and healthcare,promoting affordable healthcare and promoting effective communication between healthcare providers and users.Weak institutional support,lack of strong political will and commitment,lack of training to meet standards of practice,poor registration and regulatory measures,and lack of universal acceptance inhibit implementation of an intercultural healthcare system in Ghana.Conclusion:The support for intercultural healthcare system and the agreement on its perceived ability to reduce social,cultural and economic healthcare barriers for service users offer an opportunity for policymakers to demonstrate a stronger political will and improved commitment for effective education and training,enforcement of regulatory measures,inclusion of intercultural healthcare in medical school curricula across the country,and community engagement.