Paper short abstract:

Using the social cognitive theory which emphasizes how people learn and behave by observing others, their experiences and the environment, the study anticipates that stakeholders in DCSA and their process of engaging with smallholder farmers will reflect adoption and utilization of CSA.

Paper long abstract:

Globally, smallholder farmers produce a substantial proportion (75%) of food, yet they are faced with diverse challenges including poor access to information, and climate change. Climate change manifests in changes such as seasonal rainfall patterns, floods, and droughts leading to reduction in yields and incomes of smallholder households. Digitalization of climate smart agriculture (CSA) can improve access to climate smart information, enhance productivity and ensure food security thereby contributing to the sustainable development goal (SDG) 2. Yet, in Ghana, despite efforts to promote digitalised CSA practices (DCSA) uptake has been limited to a few CSA practices, with the use of a few digital tools and services among smallholders. This study seeks to examine the influence of stakeholder participation and socio-cultural norms on the uptake and utilization of DCSA among smallholder maize farmers. Using the social cognitive theory which emphasizes how people learn and behave by observing others, their experiences and the environment, the study anticipates that stakeholders in DCSA and their process of engaging with smallholder farmers, gender roles and religion will reflect adoption and utilization of CSA. Also, household dynamics, gender roles and religious beliefs are expected to influence access and use of DCSA. Government mu consider effectively coordinating public-private partnerships within DCSA across multiple scales to further broaden the digital agricultural technology awareness devoid of gender and other social biases smallholders while reducing duplication of messages.