Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2021, Geography (Arts and Sciences)

The policy and governance dimensions of food security is of growing interest among geographers, yet there is a need for more empirical research in this area that moves beyond polemical arguments. The objective of this study is to understand the local food security governance framework in northern Ghana and examine the agency of and interaction among major actors (state-NGO). This study employs qualitative analysis in the form of semi-structured interviews. Using modified grounded theory, interview transcripts were analyzed to explain how these governance relationships have affected the (evolution of) food security priorities in northern Ghana over time. The results revealed that while the government institutions know and decide the broad direction of food security priorities of northern Ghana, NGOs provide the funds and the technical capacity to address the food security needs and implement interventions in complex local contexts. Ultimately, this study suggests that food security governance in northern Ghana has benefited greatly from the cordial relationships between NGOs and government institutions with clear definition of governance rules, obligations, and responsibilities.

Committee: Thomas Smucker (Committee Chair); Edna Wangui (Committee Member); Harold Perkins (Committee Member) Subjects: Geography

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2018, Antioch New England: Environmental Studies

Smallholder farmers in Northern Ghana are exposed to multiple agricultural risks, which require various adaptation strategies to address. However, these strategies are only partially effective. Agricultural insurance has been promoted to assist smallholders in low-income countries to manage their key agricultural risks. The Ghanaian government and its collaborating partners introduced three agricultural insurance programs (AIPs) since 2009. In countries other than Ghana, some post-piloting evaluations of AIPs have revealed mixed outcomes, with some schemes resulting in unintended socio-ecological and maladaptive consequences. Despite these concerns, no study has explored the potential of agricultural insurance for smallholders' crop risks management in Ghana. Thus, this research was undertaken to address this gap. It also investigates stakeholders' perspectives of the potential of AIPs in promoting sustainable farming agricultural practices and climate change mitigation. I employed a convergent research design to address these issues using stratified, purposeful, and random sampling. Focus groups, informant interviews, and questionnaires were utilized to solicit responses. The resultant data and themes were analyzed using SPSS and Excel. This research revealed that agricultural risks, including those related and unrelated to weather and climate—have been adversely affecting smallholders, and have been addressed by farmers through food rationing, out-migration, and technology-based adaptation strategies. Some reported benefits of AIPs were the motivations to increase crop production, farm investments, and financial protection. This study provides scholarly, practical, regulatory, and policy-focused insight into agricultural insurance growth. My findings indicate that further attention and research are needed to building awareness about AIPs, the design of farmer-sensitive contracts, and their subsidization by government. I recommend future research focus on addressin (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: James Jordan PhD (Committee Chair); Jean Kayira PhD (Committee Member); Helen Greatrex PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Studies

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2015, Agricultural, Environmental and Developmental Economics

This study sought to investigate the effects of weather-index insurance purchase on farm investment among smallholder farmers in northern Ghana. Data was collected from a survey of 80 purchasers and 150 non-purchasers of weather-index insurance. The endogenous treatment-regression model and inverse-probability weighted regression analysis were used to estimate the effects of weather insurance purchase on fertilizer use intensity and on maize yield based on the assumptions that selectin into treatment is based on unobservable and observable covariates respectively. A logistic regression model was also run to examine the factors that influence weather-index insurance purchase. Results of the logistic regression revealed membership of an organization, total number of land owned, number of acres cultivated yearly, number of livestock owned, size of household, number of adults in a household and awareness of weather-index insurance to be the factors that determine weather-index insurance purchase among smallholder farmers in northern Ghana. Results from the endogenous treatment-regression model showed weather-index insurance purchase has a positive and significant impact on fertilizer use intensity but not on yield. IPWRA results showed no significance of weather-index insurance purchase on fertilizer use and on yield.

Committee: Brent Sohngen (Advisor); Mario Miranda (Committee Member) Subjects: Agricultural Economics