Paper short abstract:

This paper explores whether or not contract farming enhanced smallholder farmers resilience to climate change in Northern Ghana. Findings challenge the general notion that contract farming improves smallholder resilience. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

Paper long abstract:

Numerous indicators of social and biophysical vulnerability to climate change with negative consequences on agriculture continue to increase exponentially in Sub Sahara Africa (SSA). Despite the fact that contract farming has burgeoned in developing countries and it is often seen as a resilience building strategy of smallholder farmers, there is a lack of empirical evidence to show how and why contract farming enhance smallholder farmers resilience to climate change in SSA. Moreover, questions on models of contract farming that better produce resilience outcomes and why remain unanswered in the literature. This paper posits that although considerable potential exists for leveraging contract farming to build resilience to climate change, this nexus remains under-explored in SSA. To substantiate this argument, the paper combines theoretical insights from climate change adaptation literature with qualitative data collected in Northern Ghana. It explores different contract farming arrangements and whether or not they enhance smallholder farmers resilience to climate change. Findings challenge the general notion that contract farming improves smallholder resilience. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.