Title

Are rural smallholders ready for agricultural digitalization? Farmer (In)competencies and the political economy of access in digital agricultural extension and advisories in Northern Ghana.

Summary

This chapter critically examines the barriers to smallholder farmers’ use of digital agricultural extension and advisory services in Northern Ghana, using a mixed-method approach of surveys with 386 farmers and three focus groups. The findings reveal that a lack of digital literacy is the primary barrier, with most farmers unable to perform basic tasks such as Internet browsing and using digital communication tools. The chapter argues that these literacy gaps stem from political and economic structures that create educational inequities, thereby limiting smallholders’ ability to access and benefit from digitalization. It calls for digitalization strategies that align with farmers’ realities, emphasizing minimal digital competencies and incorporating digital literacy training into interventions.

 

َAuthor

Abdulai, A.-R.

Year

2024

َThematic Area

Communication Studies

Topic

Country

Global

Region

Global

Misinformation Combatting

Cross Cutting

Place Published

APA 7th End Text Citation

Abdulai, A.-R. (2024). Are rural smallholders ready for agricultural digitalization? Farmer (In)competencies and the political economy of access in digital agricultural extension and advisories in Northern Ghana. In A. Chowdhury & G. A. Gow (Eds.), Digital communication for agricultural and rural development: Participatory practices in a post-COVID age (pp. xx-xx). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003282075