The importance of extension services in helping smallholder farmers to address the many challenges of agricultural production cannot be over-emphasized. However, relatively few studies have been conducted that investigate how the capacities of agricultural extension agents can be built to more effectively assist smallholder farmers in managing climate risks and impacts. As climate change is a key threat to smallholder food production, addressing this issue is increasingly important. This paper aims to identify how agricultural extension agents in Ghana can better support smallholder farmers in navigating and addressing the effects of climate change on food production. It asks: (i) what are the sources of information used by agricultural extension agents in Ghana’s Upper East region? (ii) what are the capacity building needs of agricultural extension agents for effective communication of climate information for building resilient agricultural systems? (iii) what are the key barriers to successful extension outcomes for climate change adaptation? The paper uses a mixed methods approach including three regional stakeholder workshops, expert interviews and surveys with 32 agricultural extension agents in northeastern Ghana. Results addressing question (i) indicated that radios and television are the dominant sources of climate information for agricultural extension agents in the Upper East region. Findings targeting question (ii) identified capacity building needs such as developing extension agents’ technical skills, improving communication skills, improving knowledge and use of climate smart agricultural interventions such as soil moisture conservation methods, and training on information communication technologies (ICT) to deliver extension advice on climate change. Other needs included developing skills in field demonstration and project monitoring and evaluation. Addressing question (iii), key barriers confronted by agricultural extension agents in the delivery of extension on climate change included lack of transportation facilities for extension agents, lack of appropriate extension materials, high agricultural extension agent to farmer ratios, and inadequate funds to implement adaptation practices. Wider barriers reducing the effectiveness of extension efforts included farmer resistance to change and complex land tenure arrangements that do not allow investment. Periodic workshops should be organised for agricultural extension agents on the use of ICT to deliver extension services, whilst encouraging the use of audio-visuals in extension delivery. These efforts should be supported by regular assessments of extension agents’ capacity building needs.

推广服务在帮助小农户应对农业生产的许多挑战方面的重要性不可过分强调。但是，进行的研究很少，研究如何建立农业推广人员的能力，以更有效地协助小农户管理气候风险和影响。由于气候变化是对小农粮食生产的主要威胁，因此解决这一问题变得越来越重要。本文旨在确定加纳的农业推广人员如何更好地支持小农户应对和应对气候变化对粮食生产的影响。它要求：（i）加纳上东部地区的农业推广人员使用的信息来源是什么？（ii）农业推广人员有效沟通气候信息以建立具有复原力的农业系统的能力建设需求是什么？（iii）在气候变化适应方面取得成功推广成果的主要障碍是什么？本文采用了一种混合方法的方法，包括在加纳东北部举办的三个区域利益相关者研讨会，专家访谈和对32位农业推广人员的调查。针对问题（i）的结果表明，广播和电视是上东部地区农业推广人员气候信息的主要来源。针对问题（ii）的调查结果确定了能力建设需求，例如发展推广人员的技术技能，提高沟通技巧，提高知识和对气候智能农业干预措施（例如土壤水分保存方法）的利用，并接受信息通信技术（ICT）培训，以提供有关气候变化的扩展建议。其他需求包括发展实地示范以及项目监测和评估的技能。在解决问题（iii）时，农业推广人员在提供气候变化推广方面面临的主要障碍包括缺乏推广人员的运输设施，缺少适当的推广材料，农业推广人员与农民的比例过高以及实施适应措施的资金不足实践。降低推广工作效率的更大障碍包括农民对变革的抵制和不允许投资的复杂土地权属安排。应为农业推广人员组织定期讲习班，介绍利用信通技术提供推广服务，同时鼓励在推广过程中使用视听资料。这些工作应得到对推广人员能力建设需求的定期评估的支持。