Alternative management practices allowing for sustainable intensification of mixed farming systems with small ruminants in Northern Ghana

Mixed farming systems with crop-livestock integration play an important role allow for risk diversification compared to producing a single crop or livestock type, allowing for an increase in the system’s resilience in the face of climate change and market-related fluctuations (Cho, 2021). Well-managed mixed systems can also promote the recycling of resources which are already present within the system itself and contribute to the build-up of soil organic matter and fertility (Schiere et al., 2002). In turn, they can reduce negative impacts on the environment (e.g. soil nutrients mining) as well as the need for imported fertilizers. Agricultural production in Northern Ghana is facing large yield gaps, declining soil fertility, and failure to match the increase in food production with the increase in demand due to population growth (Michalscheck et al., 2018). Several technological innovations have already been investigated for their application in this area, as part of the AfricaRISING project. It has been shown that they have great potential for sustainable intensification, but they often require a large initial investment. This study focused on the investigation of alternative techniques with little or no financial expenditures, as opposed to technologies. It focused mainly on the management of small ruminants, which are a valuable element in sustainable farming systems, converting residues from the land and several by-products of food production into food that humans can eat (Oltjen & Beckett, 1996). Since low-resource-endowed farms often do not own any ruminant animals, this research focuses on alternative practices specifically for medium-resource-endowed farms, which commonly own small ruminant animals such as goats and sheep and not large ones such as cattle. The general aim of this research was to investigate how small ruminants could be managed in alternative ways to promote the low-cost sustainable intensification of medium resource-endowed farms, focusing on two districts near the city of Tamale, Northern Ghana. This is achieved by answering the following three research questions (RQs), subdivided into several sub-questions (SQs). 1. RQ1: How can crop residues from commonly cultivated crops be used to provide small ruminants with a complete diet in terms of energy and protein throughout the year? • SQ1.1: How are farms currently managed and what is the use of crop residues? SQ1.2: What is the nutritional profile of common crop residues?• SQ1.3: What are alternative feeding strategies based on crop residues?2. RQ2: What is the perception that farmers have towards the use of silage and compost for sustainable intensification? • SQ2.1: How do farmers perceive the benefits of silage and compost? • SQ2.2: How do farmers perceive the limitations and implications of the production process of silage and compost? 3. RQ3: What is the perception that farmers have towards intensifying small ruminant management? • SQ3.1: How do farmers perceive the risks and limitations of free off-farm grazing? • SQ3.2: How do farmers perceive the benefits, limitations, and feasibility of intensifying small ruminant management?