Are non‑market benefits of soybean production significant? An extended economic analysis of smallholder soybean farming in Upper West region of northern Ghana

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dc.contributor.authorAsodina, Francis Akabo
dc.contributor.authorAdams, Faizal
dc.contributor.authorNimoh, Fred
dc.contributor.authorWeyori, Emmanuel A.
dc.contributor.authorWongnaa, C. A.
dc.contributor.authorBakang, John Edudes‑Andvi
dc.date.accessioned2021-01-05T12:21:08Z
dc.date.accessioned2023-04-19T02:36:58Z
dc.date.available2021-01-05T12:21:08Z
dc.date.available2023-04-19T02:36:58Z
dc.date.issued2020
dc.descriptionThis article is published in Agriculture & Food Security and also available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s40066-020-00265-7en_US
dc.description.abstractBackground: Traditional cost–benefit analysis of soybean production tends to largely focus on financial benefits to farmers, and less so on non-market co-benefits in sustaining smallholder farming systems. Relying solely on the standard financial analysis undermines the actual benefit of soybean production, which often results in ineffectual policy designs. An economic analysis that incorporates key non-pecuniary co-benefits of soybean production provide vital insight that contributes to improving productivity and overall economic well-being of farmers. Cross-sectional data were collected from 271 farmers to estimate the overall economic benefit of soybean that captures both market and non-market attributes in three major producing districts (Sissala-West, Wa-East, and Dafiama-Busie-Issa (DBI)) of Ghana. Results: When non-market co-benefits were omitted, soybean production was not profitable (−Gh¢103.10/ha or −US$22.91) in DBI while Sissala-West and Wa-East had modest profit margins. However, the financial analysis changed dramatically when an average non-market value of Gh¢345.69 (US$76.82) was incorporated in the analysis. The soybean system was, therefore, financially viable for all the districts when the non-market attributes of the crop were considered. Conclusions: The findings demonstrate the importance of the non-pecuniary benefits of soybean in smallholder farming systems for policy decision-making. For instance, farmers’ motivation for soybean production is closely linked to those ancillary benefits like the biological nitrogen fixed in the soil for cultivation of other crops. Similarly, crop administrators and policy makers’ support for conservation agriculture and green environment is tied to these nonmarket co-benefits.en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipKNUSTen_US
dc.identifier.citationAgriculture & Food Securityen_US
dc.identifier.uri10.1186/s40066-020-00265-7
dc.identifier.urihttps://ir.knust.edu.gh/handle/123456789/13294
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherAgriculture & Food Securityen_US
dc.subjectSoybeanen_US
dc.subjectNon-market benefitsen_US
dc.subjectEconomic analysisen_US
dc.subjectFood securityen_US
dc.subjectSmallholder farming systemsen_US
dc.subjectsustainabilityen_US
dc.titleAre non‑market benefits of soybean production significant? An extended economic analysis of smallholder soybean farming in Upper West region of northern Ghanaen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US
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