Effective demand for climate-smart adaptation: A case of solar technologies for cocoa irrigation in Ghana

ABSTRACT

Given the generally low adoption of early climate change response technologies among tree crop producers in sub-Saharan Africa, stakeholders interested in the commercialization or scaling of such technologies will require empirical evidence of their market prospects. Using a double-bounded contingent valuation approach, the study evaluated the willingness and ability of 523 Ghanaian producers to invest in solar-powered irrigation pumps (SPIPs) for cocoa irrigation. The sample was split into three segments based on farm size: resource-poor, resource-limited, and resource-rich. Our results show that effective demand increased across the resource segments, with resource-endowed farmers more likely to demand SPIPs than resource-limited or resource-poor farmers. Also, while willingness to invest (WTI) depended on resourcefulness (land), farmers’ ability to invest was directly related to their resource (income class) endowment. We found that WTI across the resource segments was positively influenced by income, education, livestock ownership, credit, and extension services and negatively affected by household size and age of cocoa trees. Among others, we propose that promotional strategies for SPIPs should incorporate well-planned initiatives for income diversification and microcredit services to improve the financial position of the resource-poor and limited segment to encourage the adoption of these technologies.

KEYWORDS:

• climate change
• climate-smart irrigation technologies
• willingness to invest
• ability to invest
• solar-based irrigation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The raw data which underpins this study was collected by the authors of this paper. Data supporting the findings of this study are available at the Texas A&M University data repository. However, due to data protection regulations, the data will be made available (on reasonable request) when the paper is accepted for publication.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development (Grant AID-OAA-A-13-00055) and by the CGIAR Trust Fund contributors through the CGIAR Research Initiative Excellence in Agronomy.

Notes on contributors

Kekeli Kofi Gbodji

Kekeli Kofi Gbodji is a Research Officer at the International Water Management Institute.

William Quarmine

William Quarmine is a Regional Researcher at the International Water Management Institute.

Thai Thi Minh

Thai Thi Minh is a Senior Researcher at the International Water Management Institute.