Abstract for:When tomato production and climate change reinforce the poverty trap: The case of tomato smallholder producers in Ghana

Smallholder farming systems in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are increasingly pressured by climate change events, production variability and food price volatility. Dynamics in biophysical and socio-economic environment shape both macro- and micro-levels in structures of smallholder farming systems.  For rain-fed agriculture, climate dependency coupled with price volatilities, often caused by failures in market organization and infrastructures, ultimately leave farmers in poverty traps. This study focuses on tomato producers in the 2 most productive regions in Ghana, Ashanti and Upper East Region. In Ghana, tomatoes are among the most consumed vegetables; they also represent high value crop and are one of the main sources of income for a large number of producers. Data were collected from experts’ interviews and a survey among 355 tomato producers. A system dynamic model depicting the situation will be used to simulate the effects of climate variation and price volatility on farmers. The goal is to identify what reinforces poverty traps and simulate different policies that could break such dynamics. Ultimately, the results can assist actors and policy-makers in planning and making investment decisions within the different contexts, and hence contribute to improvement of farmers livelihoods and sustainable management of natural resources.