While Conservation Agriculture (CA) provides agricultural practices that offer a sustainable means to increase productivity, the drudgery in production will simply increase without effective mechanisation. This research project is formed on the premise that mapping the factors that affect farmers’ choice of machinery will aid in developing a framework for promoting gender-transformative access to and control of machinery within farming communities. Focusing on smallholder farmers in Asutsuare, a local rice production community in Ghana, who do not have fully mechanised production, the project explores the factors influencing farmers’ choice of CA-compliant machinery or a particular mechanisation model, the effect of gender norms on the choice of machinery, and how the choice of machinery influences farm productivity and sustainability. The data for this study was meticulously collected from the farmers using a mixed-method approach, including questionnaires, focus-group discussions, and key informant interviews. The Theory of Planned Behaviour was then employed to develop the ‘choice’ construct within the framework, and econometric models were used to evaluate the impact on the productivity of the smallholder farmers’ (men, women, and youth) individual machinery choices. This rigorous process ensures the reliability and validity of our findings. Given the study’s gathering of relatively sensitive data on smallholder farmers’ choices (underpinned by their attitudes and perceived norms), the emphasis is placed on ethical data management and safeguarding. The study promotes effective CA mechanisation in Ghana, advancing the United Nations' sustainable development goals and supporting national agricultural intensification targets.The Food Systems Research Network for Africa (FSNet-Africa) will strengthen food systems research and its translation into implementable interventions in support of interrelated Sustainable Development Goals related to food systems in Africa (focusing on SDG2 - Zero Hunger). The network partners - University of Pretoria (UP) (ARUA-CoE in Food Security host), University of Leeds (UoL) (GCRF-AFRICAP host) and the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN) (GCRF-AFRICAP partner) have been selected based on their track record of working together, strengths in food systems research and existing partnerships with food systems stakeholders. The major contribution of FSNet-Africa to addressing the challenge of SDG2 will be its focus on developing a new understanding of the African food systems through developing the FSNet-Africa Food Systems Framework and utilising systems-based methodologies to conduct research that enhances understanding of the components of the framework, the interactions between these components, and ultimately the leverage points for food system transformation. The latter will be implemented by an interdisciplinary cohort of early career research fellows (ECRF) who are supported in their research to identify (in dialogue with food systems stakeholders) and evaluate climate-smart, nutrition-sensitive, poverty-reducing interventions. FSNet-Africa will collaboratively produce context-relevant, interdisciplinary research through creating 2-year long structured opportunities for up to 30 ECRF, majority female, who obtained their PhD's less than 10 years ago to (i) conduct impact-focused, gender sensitive, interdisciplinary research related to African food systems, (ii) build lasting research networks, and (iii) develop their skills to translate their research impactfully. ECRF will be selected from 10 academic partner institutions in six countries - Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia. The three formal components of the fellowships (science, mentorship and leadership development) will ensure that the ECRF are positioned in the necessary enabling environment and are provided with the opportunity to develop the necessary skills to produce excellent research, achieve the project objectives and significantly advance their academic careers. During the fellowship, each fellow will be assigned at least two mentors - one from an African university and the other from the UK. These research-triads will be carefully matched to ensure that the triad is an interdisciplinary team, enabling the ECRF to receive the support they need to develop and implement quality interdisciplinary research projects. The Science Component of the fellowship will be comprised of a fellowship orientation workshop, funding for research, participation in a split-site winter/summer school and a write-shop. After attending an Orientation Workshop with their mentors, ECRF will be expected to develop their research proposals that focus on climate-smart, nutrition-sensitive and poverty-reducing food systems solutions. Six months later, a 10-week split-site winter/summer school (at UP's Future Africa Campus and at the University of Leeds) will provide the ECRF with the opportunity to finalise their research proposals for implementation and to participate in various capacity development workshops. The Leadership Component will give ECRF the opportunity to develop skills the skills they need to be future food systems science leaders - such as managing research teams and leadership in science-policy communication. As a mechanism to facilitate research uptake and impact, every project undertaken by the ECRF will be co-designed and implemented in partnership with relevant policymakers, private sector role players or grassroots level organisations who will engage directly with the research teams at the Orientation Workshop, during the Winter School and in-country to implement the research.

The study used mixed methods to collect qualitative and quantitative data, including demographic data, variables related to productivity, and farmers’ experiences with CA-compliant machinery use. Qualitative data was collected through focus groups and key informant interviews. Quantitative data was obtained through tested questionnaires that gathered data on production, land tenure, and the farmer's intention construct based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour.