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Impact of Zai technology on farmers’ welfare: Evidence from northern Ghana

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  • Ehiakpor, Dennis S.
  • Danso-Abbeam, Gideon
  • Dagunga, Gilbert
  • Ayambila, Sylvester N.

Abstract

Zai is a technology employed to rehabilitate degraded farmlands and to restore soil fertility to the benefit of farmers dwelling mostly on drylands. It serves as a water-harvesting mechanism and thus helps to reduce the amount of water that would have been lost through run-off. However, the potential roles of this technology in enhancing rural welfare has not been adequately explored. This study identified the determinants of farm households’ decision to adopt Zai technology as well as its impact on their welfare using randomly collected cross-sectional data from northern Ghana. Results from the probit model indicated that adoption of Zai technology was influenced by a different set of farmer-specific, farm-specific, and supply-side policy variables. Using different propensity score techniques, namely; propensity score matching, regression adjustment, and inverse probability weighting, the study revealed that adoption of Zai technology leads to significant gains in consumption expenditure, consumption expenditure per capita, and household income. The paper concludes that Zai technology could be a tool in promoting food security in the Ghanaian economy and, thus contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG I and II) on curbing hunger and poverty in developing countries like Ghana.

Suggested Citation

  • Ehiakpor, Dennis S. & Danso-Abbeam, Gideon & Dagunga, Gilbert & Ayambila, Sylvester N., 2019. "Impact of Zai technology on farmers’ welfare: Evidence from northern Ghana," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:teinso:v:59:y:2019:i:c:s0160791x18303403
    DOI: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2019.101189
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    2. Austin Tenthani Phiri & Miriam Charimbu & Sarah Edore Edewor & Elias Gaveta, 2022. "Sustainable Scaling of Climate-Smart Agricultural Technologies and Practices in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Case of Kenya, Malawi, and Nigeria," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-19, November.
    3. Henry N. N. Bulley & Oludunsin T. Arodudu & Esther A. Obonyo & Aniko Polo-Akpisso & Esther Shupel Ibrahim & Yazidhi Bamutaze, 2023. "Perspectives on Applications of Geospatial Technology and Landscape Ecology for Conservation Planning in the Global South," International Journal of Applied Geospatial Research (IJAGR), IGI Global, vol. 14(1), pages 1-23, January.
    4. Gideon Danso-Abbeam & Khama Mohammed Amin & Abiodun A. Ogundeji, 2022. "Enhancing Household Welfare through Perennial Crop Production in Northern Ghana," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-17, December.
    5. Tanko, Mohammed, 2022. "Nexus of risk preference, culture and religion in the adoption of improved rice varieties: Evidence from Northern Ghana," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    6. Agúndez, Dolores & Lawali, Sitou & Mahamane, Ali & Alía, Ricardo & Soliño, Mario, 2022. "Development of agroforestry food resources in Niger: Are farmers’ preferences context specific?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).

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