Uncovering Conservation Agriculture: A Content Analysis, Systematic Review, And Arts-Based Inquiry into Gender and Sustainable Farming in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

As climate change persists to deeply impact agriculture production across the developing world, the need for sustainable agricultural intervention that both mitigates the ramifications of intense weather on farming and ceases to perpetuate harmful practices is needed. Compounding this environmental issue are societal gender inequities within agriculture that often impede the success of women farmers. Conservation agriculture posits itself as a possible solution to this multifaceted, wicked problem, however, it is often shrouded in confusing terminology, and its impacts on gender have yet to be studied deeply within a sub-Saharan African context. Therefore, this dissertation investigates the intersection of gender dynamics and conservation agriculture (CA) adoption in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), with a focus on Ghana. The research is segmented into three interconnected studies: a content analysis of the Centre for No-Till Agriculture's CA media and materials, a systematic review of current literature on gender and CA in SSA that is informed by the previous terminological analysis, and lastly, an arts-based narrative inquiry into the construction of gender and its impacts on CA in Ghana. Findings across the three studies reveal that CA's communicative infrastructure, gendered impacts, and on-the-ground implementation are deeply interdependent. Study 1 demonstrated that the CNTA's terminology, while strategically unified, lacks gender-sensitive language and alignment with broader global agricultural discourse. Study 2 established that CA's benefits and burdens are not experienced equitably across genders, and that structural barriers shape women's CA outcomes more than agricultural knowledge or motivation. Study 3 contextualizes and extends these findings within a matrilineal Ghanaian community, where land tenure barriers were largely absent yet gendered challenges persisted, highlighting that land ownership is necessary but insufficient for achieving gender equity in CA. Together, these studies argue that sustainable agricultural development and gender equality in SSA are not parallel pursuits, but interdependent conditions that must be advanced simultaneously through reformed policy, gender-transformative programming, and standardized, inclusive communication frameworks.