Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v4 - SHS 1
CLIMATE CHANGE VARIABILITY AND CHANGE
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CLIMATE CHANGE VARIABILITY AND CHANGE
Download the Lessonotes Mobile Ghana app for faster lesson access on Android and iPhone.
Subject: Agricultural Science
Class: SHS 1
Term: 2nd Term
Week: 20
Grade code: 2.3.1.LI.2
Strand code: 4
Sub-strand code: 1
Content standard code: 2.3.2.CS.2
Indicator code: 2.3.1.LI.2
Theme: AGRICULTURE AND CLI MATE
Subtheme: CLIMATE CHANGE VARIABILITY AND CHANGE
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As Ghanaian farmers, our parents and communities face new challenges every year. The rains don't come when expected, new pests like the Fall Armyworm appear, and sometimes the heat is too much for our crops. These are the effects of climate change. To survive and succeed, farmers cannot work alone; they need the right information at the right time. In the past, information only came from the government extension officer. Today, we have a more powerful and effective way of sharing knowledge called the Agricultural Knowledge and Information Systems (AKIS).
2.1. The Old Way: Traditional Agricultural Extension (The "Top-Down" Model)
Before we understand the new system (AKIS), let's look at the old one. For many years, agricultural information was shared using a linear, top-down model. A good example is the Training and Visit (T&V) system, which was used in Ghana for a long time. How it Worked: Researchers (e.g., at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research - CSIR) developed a new technology (like a new maize seed). They trained the Agricultural Extension Agent (AEA) from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA). The AEA then visited a "contact farmer" to pass on the information. The hope was that this contact farmer would then teach other farmers in the community. Visual Representation: `Research Institute → Extension Agent → Contact Farmer → Other Farmers` Problems with this Model: One-Way Street: Information only flowed downwards. The researchers rarely received feedback from the farmers about whether the technology actually worked in their real-world conditions. Slow: It took a very long time for information to reach the majority of farmers. Ignores Farmer Knowledge: It assumed that only scientists had useful knowledge. It ignored the rich, traditional knowledge that Ghanaian farmers have gathered over generations. Limited Reach: One extension agent had to cover a huge area with many farmers, making it ineffective. 2.2. The New Way: Agricultural Knowledge and Information Systems (AKIS)
AKIS is a more modern and effective approach. It is not a straight line, but a network or a web.
Definition: AKIS is a network of different people, organisations, and institutions who work together to generate, share, exchange, and use agricultural knowledge and information to improve farming and livelihoods. Key Idea: In AKIS, everyone is a teacher and everyone is a learner. A farmer's experience is just as valuable as a scientist's research. Visual Representation: Imagine a spider's web. In the centre are the Farmers. Connected to them and to each other are all the other actors. Information flows in all directions. 2.3. Key Actors in the Ghanaian AKIS