“What is the essence of cultivating a crop that does not yield enough to feed my family?” Farmer agency and the management of agrobiodiversity in Ghana and Burkina Faso

Abstract

Abstract The preservation of agrobiodiversity is widely regarded as a cornerstone of sustainable agri-food systems, yet dominant narratives often portray crop diversity in smallholder farming as declining under pressures of intensification and market integration. Less attention has been given to how farmers themselves perceive, manage, and actively shape agrobiodiversity over time. Drawing on political ecology and farmer-agency perspectives within a broader socio-ecological framework, this study examines patterns of crop species and varietal diversity across eight villages in Burkina Faso and Ghana. A mixed-methods approach combining surveys with 320 respondents and participatory focus group tools—including matrix scoring, four-square diagrams, and historical timelines—was used to analyze both quantitative trends in agrobiodiversity and farmers’ lived experiences. Results show that agrobiodiversity is not uniformly declining but remains dynamic, often increasing through strategies of complementarity rather than substitution. Farmers expand crop portfolios by integrating new commercial and market-oriented crops while retaining traditional species and landraces valued for their resilience, cultural significance, and food security functions. Diversity outcomes are shaped by the interaction of farmer agency with institutional support, infrastructure, input access, and environmental variability, highlighting that agrobiodiversity is co-produced within socio-ecological systems rather than determined by single drivers. Gender and household structure further influence diversification strategies, with female-headed households often maintaining more diverse portfolios and women prioritizing traits linked to household use and labor constraints. These findings nuance simplified narratives of agrobiodiversity erosion and instead portray on-farm diversity as an adaptive, multifunctional strategy linking production, nutrition, cultural identity, and climate resilience. Recognizing farmers’ priorities, knowledge, and socio-cultural values is therefore essential for designing policies that support sustainable, resilient, and context-appropriate agri-food systems.