Research | Community radio as a catalyst for social learning, knowledge co-production, and adaptive capacity: a sequential explanatory mixed-methods study in Northern Ghana
Enoch Kwame Tham-Agyekum 1,2*, Gabriel Kanuti Ndimbo3, Winnefred Mensah4, Fred Nimoh1, Olumuyiwa Akin Olaniyi5, Daniel Ofosuhene Abrokwah1, Fred Ankuyi1, Jabulani Nyengere6, Ruth Wambui Wainaina7
1 College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana; 2 Future Africa, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa; 3 Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Mkwawa University College of Education, Iringa, Tanzania; 4 School of Natural Resources, University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani, Ghana; 5 University of Eswatini, Kwaluseni, Eswatini; 6 Malawi University of Science and Technology, Thyolo, Malawi; 7 African Centre for Technology Studies, Nairobi, Kenya
Abstract
Introduction: Community radio has increasingly been recognised as an important platform for climate communication in sub-Saharan Africa. However, limited empirical evidence exists on how community radio contributes to social learning, climate knowledge co-production, and the adaptive capacity of smallholder farmers. This study examined the role of community radio in enhancing drought adaptation among smallholder farmers in Northern Ghana.
Methods: A mixed-methods approach was employed involving 1,200 smallholder farmers. Data were collected through household surveys and key informant interviews. Thematic analysis, descriptive statistics, and an Endogenous Switching Regression (ESR) model were used to analyse the data.
Results: The findings show that community radio strengthens social learning through information sharing, peer-to-peer learning, group discussions, observational learning, and leader-mediated diffusion. Community leaders, farmer groups, and informal social networks further amplified climate information obtained through radio programmes, extending its reach beyond direct listeners. Community radio also facilitated climate knowledge co-production by creating opportunities for collective interpretation, contextualisation, and validation of climate information through interactive formats such as call-in programmes, farmer testimonies, and community discussions. ESR estimates indicate that listening to community radio increased access to drought adaptation inputs and institutional support by 24.3%, diversification strategies by 21.5%, preparedness and coping practices by 10.7%, and climate knowledge and skills by 18.7% compared with non-participants.
Discussion: The findings demonstrate that community radio functions not only as a communication channel but also as a catalyst for social learning, climate knowledge co-production, and improved adaptive capacity. Strengthening participatory community radio programming and enhancing its integration with agricultural extension services could substantially improve the resilience of smallholder farmers to drought and other climate-related risks in Ghana and similar contexts.
Keywords
adaptation, climate information, community radio, Ghana, knowledge, smallholder farmers
Funding
The author(s) declared that financial support was received for this work and/or its publication. This publication was made possible (in part) by a grant from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation, formerly Carnegie Corporation of New York through The Future Africa Research Leadership Fellowship (FAR-LeaF) Programme, Future Africa, University of Pretoria, South Africa under Grant number G-PS-23-60692. The statements made and the views expressed are solely the responsibility of the author.
Citation
Tham-Agyekum EK, Ndimbo GK, Mensah W, Nimoh F, Olaniyi OA, Abrokwah DO, Ankuyi F, Nyengere J and Wainaina RW (2026) Community radio as a catalyst for social learning, knowledge co-production, and adaptive capacity: a sequential explanatory mixed-methods study in Northern Ghana. Front. Sustain. Food Syst. 10:1885196. doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2026.1885196
Author contributions
ET-A: Conceptualisation, Data curation, Formal analysis, Funding acquisition, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Resources, Software, Supervision, Validation, Visualisation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. GN: Conceptualisation, Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Supervision, Validation, Visualisation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. WM: Conceptualisation, Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Validation, Writing – original draft. FN: Conceptualisation, Investigation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. OO: Investigation, Methodology, Validation, Visualisation, Writing – review & editing. DA: Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Software, Validation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. FA: Conceptualisation, Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Validation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. JN: Conceptualisation, Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Visualisation, Writing – review & editing. RW: Conceptualisation, Data curation, Writing – original draft.
