Talking climate, growing change: communication pathways and farmer adoption of resilient practices in Techiman, Ghana

Abstract Climate change poses significant challenges to smallholder agriculture in Ghana, threatening food security and rural livelihoods. Effective communication of climate-resilient agricultural practices is therefore critical to enhance farmers’ adaptive capacity. Using a descriptive research design with a quantitative approach, the study investigated the relationship between communication pathways and the adoption of climate-resilient agricultural practices among 396 smallholder farmers in Techiman Municipality, Ghana. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Cooperatives and farmer organisations emerged as the most frequently utilised communication pathway (M = 3.92, SD = 0.957). Correlation analysis revealed that peer learning networks and farmer-to-farmer communication are the most influential pathways, exhibiting the strongest positive and statistically significant correlations with nearly all CRAPs. Regression analysis identified farmer group membership as a significant predictor of utilising agricultural shows (β = 0.315, p  < 0.05), community theater (β = 0.338, p  < 0.05), and participatory video (β = 0.423, p  < 0.05). Engagement in off-farm activities significantly predicted farmer-to-farmer communication (β = 0.309, p  < 0.05). The primary barrier to adoption was risk aversion (mean rank = 3.66). These insights provide evidence-based guidance for extension agencies, policymakers, and development partners seeking to foster climate-resilient agricultural transformation in Africa and beyond.