IMPACT OF CLIMATE SMART RESILIENT PRACTICES ON ENHANCING SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY. CASE STUDY OF RICE, COCOA AND OIL PALM VALUE CHAINS DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

The goal of the study was to evaluate the impacts of agricultural productivity through climate smart agricultural practices for selected value chains (IVS-Rice, Cocoa and Oil Palm) in a bid to boost resilience and enhance livelihood opportunities for rural farmers in Bo District. The objectives were to determine the effectiveness of climate-smart agricultural practices in increasing crop yields and productivity, and identify barriers to the adoption of climate-smart practices among rural farmers. The study adopted a mixed method approach using both quantitative and qualitative research method approaches. The findings revealed that climate smart agricultural (CSA) practices led to improved yields across all value chains with cocoa and IVS rice farmers achieving higher yields (above 25%) compared to moderate gains (10-25%) among Oil Palm farmers.The study concludes that Climate Smart Agricultural (CSA) practices have significantly enhanced agricultural productivity of farmers dealing with the IVS rice, cocoa, and oil palm value chains in Bo District. Although farmers continue to face challenges such as financial constraints, limited training opportunities, uncertain weather conditions, and restricted access to inputs, the evidence demonstrates that CSA practices consistently improve yields, with rice and cocoa farmers recording the highest gains and adoption rates are encouraging.Moreover, stakeholders acknowledge that CSA awareness is steadily increasing, particularly among younger male farmers, and that practices like inter-cropping are becoming more common. Overall, the findings affirm that CSA is a viable pathway to strengthen resilience, boost rural livelihoods, and support sustainable agricultural development in the district, provided that financial, institutional, and policy support systems are strengthened to scale adoption.