The adoption of sustainable land management practices in Northern Ghana: role of land tenure modalities

This study examines how different land tenure modalities determine the adoption and outcomes of Sustainable Land Management (SLM) practices among smallholder farmers in Northern Ghana. Drawing on Ribot and Peluso’s Theory of Access and a socio-ecological lens, the research explores how rights, labor, knowledge, and institutional structures interact to determine who can act sustainably, who benefits, and who remains excluded. Using a mixed-methods design, quantitative data from 960 maize households were analyzed through multivariate probit, Poisson, Propensity Score Matching (PSM), and non-parametric tests, complemented by qualitative insights from interviews and focus group discussions, and participatory rural appraisal activities. The results show that secure land rights, particularly inherited and family-allocated plots, significantly increase SLM adoption and yield outcomes, while renters face temporal and social constraints that discourage long-term investment. Access to extension services enhanced adoption intensity, but credit and hired labor had little effect, revealing institutional inertia and uneven spatial support. The findings highlight that sustainability emerges where social legitimacy, ecological care, and institutional recognition converge. Strengthening tenure security, decentralizing extension, and aligning financial systems with agrarian timeframes are critical for scaling SLM. The study advances an access-sensitive socio-ecological understanding of land sustainability in Ghana’s agrarian landscapes.