Exploring the drivers of herbicide use and risk perception among smallholder farmers in Ghana

Abstract

Although herbicide adoption is gaining popularity among farmers in the Global South, the reasons for their adoption and perceptions of the impacts of their use may vary. Drawing theoretical insights from political ecology and using photovoice and interviews with (N = 48) backyard farmers in the semi-arid savannah region of Ghana, this article explored the underlying factors shaping herbicide adoption and the perceived health and environmental impacts. The findings reveal a set of complex intersecting drivers of herbicide adoption, including climate variability, labor supply constraints, and high costs of alternative technologies. Important adverse impacts of herbicide use include human health complications, suppressed seed germination, water pollution, and disruption of ecosystem processes. Notably, there were marked gender and locational variations in farmer perceptions which reflect the intersecting political, socio-economic and cultural factors that shape human-environment interaction, including agricultural production decisions. Given the growing need to make smallholder agriculture more sustainable, we recommend a community-based approach that engages government agencies, herbicide retailers and farmers to regulate herbicide use to minimize adverse impacts.

Keywords:

• Backyard farming
• climate variability
• food security
• herbicides
• political ecology
• Ghana

Acknowledgments

The authors are thankful to all the farmers who participated in this study. We also acknowledge the contributions of all the key informants at the various institutions who shared their views on herbicide retail, use and impacts. Finally, we thank the reviewers who dedicated their time to reviewing this manuscript.

Disclosure statement

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

Notes

1 Selective herbicides are those formulated to control specific weeds or weed categories, with chemicals that are toxic to some plant species but less toxic to others (e.g., 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid). Non-selective herbicides are formulated to control both broadleaf and grass weeds (e.g., Paraquat, Glyphosate).

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded with an Internal Grant from Western University, Canada [Grant# 114075].

Notes on contributors

Daniel Kpienbaareh

Daniel Kpienbaareh is a Research Manager in the Environment, Health and Hazards Lab at the Department of Geography and Environment, Western University, Canada. His research interests include Sustainable Agriculture, Food Security, Biodiversity Conservation, Environmental Health and Hazards.

Moses Mosonsieyiri Kansanga

Moses Mosonsieyiri Kansanga is an Assistant Professor of Geography and International Affairs in the Department of Geography at the George Washington University, USA. His research interests include Agriculture and Sustainable Food Systems, Political Ecology, Natural Resource Management, Environment and Health and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Emmanuel Yiridoe

Emmanuel Yiridoe is a Professor at the Department of Business & Social Sciences, Department of Economics, Dalhousie University, Canada. His research interests include Agricultural Production Economics, Agribusiness and Farm Management, Natural Resource and Environmental Economics.

Isaac Luginaah

Isaac Luginaah is a Professor at the Department of Geography, Western University, Canada. His research interests include medical/health geography, Environment and Health, Population Health and Food Security.