Examining the Influence of Agricultural Policy Misinformation on Sustainable Agricultural Practices in Ghana’s Planting for Food and Jobs Policy

This study introduced the term ‘agricultural policy misinformation’ (APM) and examined its influence on sustainable practices within Ghana’s Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) policy, spanning 2017 to 2023. A cross-sectional study design employed mixed methods and engaged 107 participants. These included 99 survey respondents and 8 key informant interviews. Respondents were sampled from two agroecological zones in Ghana. The findings were derived from rigorous thematic analysis and statistical analysis of interview transcripts and survey data, respectively. The study revealed the pervasive influence of agricultural policy misinformation regarding input quality, GMOs, and subsidies on adoption behaviors. Farmers, political actors, and the media emerged as the primary disseminators of misinformation. Regression analysis revealed that farmers exposed to misinformation are less likely to adopt fertilizer but more likely to adopt seed under the PFJ policy. Recommendations include enhanced communication strategies, targeted education and training programs, and peer-to-peer knowledge-sharing networks in mitigating the negative effects of misinformation.

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Guelph

Author dc:creator

• Asafo-Agyei, Edward

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Chowdhury, Ataharul

• agricultural policy
• misinformation
• sustainablle agricultural practices

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10214/28351

OAI record oai:identifier

https://atrium.lib.uoguelph.ca/server/oai/request?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=dim&identifier=oai%3Aatrium.lib.uoguelph.ca%3A10214%2F28351