<p>                 <b>TABLE OF CONTENTS</b><br></p><p> Abstract ....................................................................................................................................... i&nbsp;</p><p>Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................... ii&nbsp;</p><p>List of Figures ........................................................................................................................... vi&nbsp;</p><p>List of Tables ............................................................................................................................. vi&nbsp;</p><p>List of Photos ........................................................................................................................... vii&nbsp;</p><p>List of Appendices ................................................................................................................... vii&nbsp;</p><p><b>Abbreviations and Acronyms .................................................................................................. viii&nbsp;</b></p><p><b>

Chapter 1

............................................................................................................................. 1&nbsp;</b></p><p>1.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 1&nbsp;</p><p>1.2 Proposition, Research Objective and Research Questions ............................................... 2&nbsp;</p><p>1.3 Empirical Presentation of Study Area .............................................................................. 3&nbsp;</p><p>1.3.1 Location and Size ...................................................................................................... 5&nbsp;</p><p>1.3.2 Climate and Vegetation ............................................................................................. 6&nbsp;</p><p>1.3.3 Economy .................................................................................................................... 6&nbsp;</p><p>1.4 Smallholder agricultural Production in Ghana and in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality ..... 7&nbsp;</p><p>1.5 The Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy II (GPRS II 2006-2009). ........................ 10&nbsp;</p><p>1.5.1 Private Sector Competitiveness ............................................................................... 11&nbsp;</p><p>1.6 Method in Brief .............................................................................................................. 13&nbsp;</p><p> 1.6.1 Research Strategy .................................................................................................... 13&nbsp;</p><p>1.6.2 Research Design ...................................................................................................... 13&nbsp;</p><p>1.6.3 Data Analysis .......................................................................................................... 14&nbsp;</p><p><b>

Chapter 2

........................................................................................................................... 17</b></p><p>LITERATURE REVIEW and THEOTETICAL FRAMEWORK ......................................... 17&nbsp;</p><p>2.1 Literature Review ........................................................................................................... 17&nbsp;</p><p>2.1.1 Role of Agriculture in Sustainable Development ................................................... 17&nbsp;</p><p>2.1.2 Is the Pursuit of Agricultural Productivity the Ultimate Panacea for Rural Development? ................................................................................................................... 21&nbsp;</p><p>2.1.3 The GPRS II on Smallholder Agricultural Productivity ......................................... 24&nbsp;</p><p>2.1.4 Climate Change Adaptation in the Smallholder Agricultural Sector ...................... 27&nbsp;</p><p>2.2. Theoretical Framework ................................................................................................. 28&nbsp;</p><p>2.2.1 A Framework for Policy-Livelihood Relationships ................................................ 28</p><p>&nbsp;2.2.2 Assets ............................................................................................................................... 29 <br></p><p>2.2.3 Transforming Structures and Processes ........................................................................... 30&nbsp;</p><p>2.2.4 Livelihood Outcomes ....................................................................................................... 30&nbsp;</p><p>2.2.5 Livelihood Strategies ........................................................................................................ 30&nbsp;</p><p>2.2.6 Vulnerability Context ....................................................................................................... 31&nbsp;</p><p>2.2.7 Conceptual Framework of Sustainable Livelihoods Dynamics .............................. 31&nbsp;</p><p><b>2.3&nbsp; Operationalisation of Key Concepts .............................................................................. 34&nbsp;</b></p><p><b>

Chapter 3

: METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................ 37&nbsp;</b></p><p>3.1 Research Design and Method ......................................................................................... 37&nbsp;</p><p>3.1.1 Data and Sample ...................................................................................................... 38&nbsp;</p><p>3.2 Qualitative Method ......................................................................................................... 40&nbsp;</p><p>3.3 Quantitative Method ....................................................................................................... 41&nbsp;</p><p>3.3.1 Methods of Quantitative Analysis ........................................................................... 41</p><p>&nbsp;3.4 Ethical Issues .................................................................................................................. 46&nbsp;</p><p>3.5 Limitations of the Study ................................................................................................. 48&nbsp;</p><p><b>

Chapter 4

........................................................................................................................... 51&nbsp;</b></p><p>PRESENTATION OF EMPIRICAL FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS ................................ 51&nbsp;</p><p>PART 1: Agricultural Development Policy – Monitoring MOFA’s Compliance to the Action Plan .............................................................................................................................. 52&nbsp;</p><p>4.1 The National Level and Local Level Crop Development Policy of the GPRS II .......... 53&nbsp;</p><p>4.2 Alignment with Stakeholder Concerns .......................................................................... 61&nbsp;</p><p> PART 2: Interaction through Participation – Beneficiaries’ Level of Policy Awareness........65&nbsp;</p><p>4.3 Beneficiary Farmers: Active Participants in Agricultural Productivity and Development of their own Livelihoods? .................................................................................................... 65&nbsp;</p><p>4.3.1 Farmers Participation: The Demand Side ................................................................ 66&nbsp;</p><p>4.3.2 Roles of MOFA: The Supply Side of Participation ................................................ 71&nbsp;</p><p>4.4 Implications of Demand and Supply of Participation in Municipal Level Decision Making for Agricultural Productivity: Farmers’ Empowerment? ........................................ 75&nbsp;</p><p>PART 3: LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC WORKING CONDITIONS FOR SMALLHOLDER FARMERS ......................................................... 78&nbsp;</p><p>4.5 Local Environmental Conditions ................................................................................... 78&nbsp;</p><p>4.5.1 Local Knowledge and Perceptions on Climate Change .......................................... 80&nbsp;</p><p>4.6 Local Socio-Economic Working Conditions ................................................................. 84&nbsp;</p><p>4.6.1 Labour ..................................................................................................................... 86&nbsp;</p><p>4.6.2 Capital ..................................................................................................................... 87&nbsp;</p><p>4.6.3 Credit ....................................................................................................................... 90&nbsp;</p><p> 4.6.4 Land ......................................................................................................................... 93&nbsp;</p><p>4.6.5 Production levels – Including Crop Yields and Producer Prices of Crops ............. 95&nbsp;</p><p>4.7 Livelihood Adaptation Assessment ................................................................................ 96&nbsp;</p><p>4.7.1 Local Adaptation to Climate Variability ............................................................ 97&nbsp;</p><p>4.7.2 Local Adaptation to Adversely Changing Socio-Economic Work Conditions ..... 100&nbsp;</p><p>PART 4: Monitoring Overall Impact: Productive Capital Assets of Smallholder Farmers ................................................................................................................................................ 102&nbsp;</p><p>4.8 Livelihood Asset Status Tracking Assessment ............................................................ 102&nbsp;</p><p>4.8.1 Natural Capital ...................................................................................................... 103&nbsp;</p><p>4.8.2 Financial Capital ................................................................................................... 105&nbsp;</p><p>4.8.3 Physical Capital ..................................................................................................... 107&nbsp;</p><p>4.8.4 Human Capital ....................................................................................................... 109&nbsp;</p><p>4.8.5 Social Capital ........................................................................................................ 111&nbsp;</p><p>4.8.6 Aggregated Assessment ........................................................................................ 114</p><p>&nbsp;4.9 Links between Farmers’ Capital Asset Development and Livelihood Resilience ....... 120&nbsp;</p><p><b>

Chapter 5

......................................................................................................................... 123&nbsp;</b></p><p>SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............ 123&nbsp;</p><p>5.1 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 123&nbsp;</p><p>8.2 Recommendations ........................................................................................................ 130 <br></p><p> <b>Bibliography ......................................................................................................................... 133</b></p><p><b>&nbsp;Appendices ............................................................................................................................ 139 </b> <br></p>