FORM 2: RESEARCH IN PROGRESS (Progress

Report)
PIN:

RESEARCH TITLE: Gender gaps in climate change and adaptations on beans

START DATE: June 2020 ESTIMATED DURATION: 12 months

SPONSORS: Pan African Bean Research Alliance (PABRA) BUDGET: USD38500

INFLOWS FOR THE QUARTER: USD38500

LOCATION: Ejura Sekyeredumase municipality, Atebubu Amantin district.

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Prof. James Asibuo

PARTICIPATING SCIENTISTS: Patricia Pinamang Acheampong, Stephen Yeboah, Richard Adabah
COLLABORATING INSTITUTIONS. Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Farmer based organizations

OBJECTIVES:
1. Assess climate change perception among males and female farmers
2. Evaluate gender differences in climate change adaptations

METHODOLOGY:
The study was conducted in Ejura-sekyeredumase and Atibubu Amantin Municipalities of the Ashanti and
Bono East regions respectively. The study area falls within the forest transition zone, where the climatic
conditions are favorable for production of common bean and cowpea.

Multistage sampling technique was adopted for the sampling and data collection. Communities as well as
the sampling units were randomly selected. Sixteen communities were randomly selected from the two
districts and 10 farmers randomly selected from each of the community. A total 160 respondents were

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interviewed face to face. Due to incomplete information, data from 6 respondents were discarded and
information on 154 was used.

RESULTS ACHIEVED SO FAR:

Table 1 presents the socio-demographic characteristics of sampled farmers in Ejura and Atebubu. Across
both districts male cowpea farmers dominated female farmers, this was statistically significant at the 1%
level. The average age of farmers across the districts was 43 years. An average cowpea farmer had acquired
5 years of formal education. This depicts the high level of illiteracy among Ghanaian cowpea farmers.
Farmers in Atebubu however were more educated than farmers in Ejura with an average of 6 years of
formal education as compared to 4 years among farmers in Ejura. This difference was also significant
statistically at 1% level. This again is confirmed in Figure 2 as the majority of farmers in Atebubu had had at
least a basic education compared to their counterparts in Ejura where majority of the famers had had no
form of formal education.

On the average a cowpea farmer had 19 years of experience in farming with 11 years of cowpea cultivation
experience. With regards to the pooled sample an average family size of a cowpea farmer consisted of 9
members.

Table 1: Descriptive Statistics of Farmers by District

District
Ejura Atebubu Pooled
t-stat.
Variables (n=78) (n=76) (n=154)
Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD
Gender (1=Male) 0.44 0.50 0.76 0.43 0.58 0.49 -4.36***
Age 44 13.61 42 11.72 43 12.70 0.8411
Years of schooling 4 4.81 6 5.12 5 5.06 -2.66***
Farming experience 19 11.74 19 9.89 19 10.83 0.25
Cowpea farming experience 12 7.64 10 5.35 11 9.51 1.94*
Household size 8 4.52 9 6.34 9 5.52 -1.40
ª =measured in percentage; SD=Standard Deviation; * = 10% significance level; * **= 1% significance level

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Knowledge on climate change indicators
Table 2 shows the knowledge level of male and female cowpea famers on some climate change indicators
across the research areas. The knowledge levels were captured in a descending order; High, Fairly high and
Moderately high. From Table 2 majority of both male and female farmers were moderately knowledgeable
about climate change in general with the least fraction of them attesting to having a high knowledge in
climate change in general. Males were relatively more knowledgeable in climate change issues in general
than females as more females (63%) were moderately knowledgeable than males (55%) whereas more
males (18%) were highly knowledgeable relative to their female counterparts (14%). With regards to
knowledge in changes in rainfall patterns, both gender groups were highly knowledgeable and this can be
attributed to the several years of farming. The average farmer had 19 years of farming experience across
both districts. With knowledge on temperature patterns most famers (male and female) were moderately
knowledgeable with a few of them having a fair knowledge on temperature patterns in relation to climate
change. Similarly, with respect to knowledge on climate change effects the vast majority across both
genders were moderately knowledgeable on the issue. This again brings to attention the need for stringent
climate change education focused on farmers and their agricultural activities.

Table 2: Farmers’ knowledge on climate change indicators by gender

District
Knowledge Ejura (n=78) Atebubu (n=76) Pooled (N=154) P-value
Male Female Male Female Male Female

Climate change in general 0.589

High 17.6 15.9 16.7 11.1 17.0 14.5
Fairly high 17.6 18.2 35.2 33.3 28.4 22.6
Moderately high 64.7 56.9 48.1 55.6 54.5 62.9
Rainfall patterns 0.336
High 32.4 29.5 51.9 44.4 44.3 33.9
Fairly high 5.9 13.6 22.2 16.7 15.9 14.5
Moderately high 61.8 56.8 25.9 38.9 39.8 51.6
Temperature patterns 0.525
High 29.4 25.0 35.2 38.9 33.0 29.0
Fairly high 5.9 9.1 16.7 5.6 12.5 8.1
Moderately high 64.7 65.9 48.1 55.6 54.5 62.9

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Climate change effects 0.128
High 17.6 22.7 40.7 38.9 31.8 27.4
Fairly high 8.8 4.5 16.7 5.6 13.6 4.8
Moderately high 73.5 72.7 42.6 55.6 54.5 67.7

NUMBER OF CONFERENCES PAPERS PRODUCED: Nil

NUMBER OF TECHNOLOGIES PROTECTED THROUGH INTELLECTUAL

PROPERTY RIGHTS: Nil

WAY FORWARD: Complete analysis and reporting by the end of June 2021.