Tropentag 2022, September 14 - 16, Prague, Germany "Can agroecological farming feed the world? Farmers' and academia's views."

Effect of corruption on farmers’ participation in agricultural production support programmes – evidence from Ghana

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Fac. of Tropical AgriScience - Dept. of Economics and Development, Czech Republic

Abstract

Literature show that agricultural production support programmes can enhance farmer adoption of better technology and inputs, increase productivity, and subsequently enhance food security. However, corruption, such as preferential treatment to political allies of governing parties, input smuggling and elite capture, often demotivate vulnerable smallholders in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) from participating in such interventions although they are the primary target of such interventions. Seminal studies and reports show that corruption (actual or perceived) has a significant economic effect on the success or otherwise of agricultural policies and programmes. Yet, empirical findings on the effect of corruption on farmers’ participation in agricultural support programmes are rare. This study therefore evaluates the effect of corruption perception (i.e., perceived input smuggling, elite capture, and political favouritism), positive attitude (i.e., perceived programme benefits – increased productivity and income) and other factors on farmers’ decision to participate in production support programmes using Ghana’s Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) programme as a case. Data for the study was collected through quantitative survey in Northern Ghana with 540 respondents from December 2018 to April 2019. Findings from our logistic regression model show that farmers are more likely to participate in the PFJ programme if they perceived high benefits – increased productivity, and income (i.e., positive attitude towards the programme). On the other hand, corruption perception about the PFJ programme decreases farmers’ probability to participate in the support programme. Furthermore, high level of corruption perception decreases, at higher value, farmers’ positive attitudes toward the programme which reduces their probability to participate in the PFJ programme. Positive attitudes should be complemented by low level of corruption perception about production support programmes to increase farmer participation.

Keywords: Attitude, corruption perception, Ghana, planting for food and jobs programme, production support, risk awareness

Contact Address: Sylvester Amoako Agyemang, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Fac. of Tropical AgriScience - Dept. of Economics and Development, Kamycka 129, 165 00 Prague-Suchdol, Czech Republic, e-mail: amoako_agyemangftz.czu.cz