Research Scientists have called for the urgent development of programmes on how to adapt certain agricultural practices for farmers to cope with the effects of climate change.
There is also the need to develop innovations to improve food production to address food security.
Presenting the findings of a study conducted by a group of research scientists from Ghana and The Gambia, Mr Gordon Akon-Yamga of the Science and Technology Policy Research Institute (STEPRI) of Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), said studies had shown that Ghana's climatic conditions had changed in the past four decades.
He said the evidence of the impact of climate change on food security in Ghana was the decrease in the yield of maize in the Transition Zone.
In the Gambia, it is projected that by 2075, average mean temperature will increase by a margin of between 3 degrees Celsius and 4.5 degrees Celsius.
A recent study conducted by CSIR shows that there exists numerous agricultural innovations that have not been used and yet hold the potential for improving food production.
On the impact of such climate change on food availability, it has been predicted that all crop growth parameters for maize would undergo significant reductions.
The study under the theme: "Agricultural Innovations for Climate Change Adaptation and Food Security in West Africa: The Case of Ghana and The Gambia", was sponsored by Africa Technology Policy Studies (ATPS Network) and implemented by CSIR-STEPRI.
The study was aimed at contributing to the strategic objective of the ATPS Agricultural Innovations programme.
This is to provide information on agricultural practices and activities of farmers towards food security and climate change adaptation in Ghana and Gambia and identify and document emerging innovations suitable for climate change adaptation in the two countries.
It is also to promote some selected agricultural innovations through targeted training and field demonstrations; establish collaborative network involving researchers, Ministry of Food and Agriculture or its equivalent, and farmers to enhance agricultural innovations for increased productivity in the face of climate change.
Mr Akon-Yamga noted that the age of farmers had become a challenge since most farmers were now getting older, which was 40 years and above, and there was the need to get the young ones interested in farming and taking over from the older farmers when they were no more.
"This is the time for the young ones to tap the rich knowledge of the older farmers so they can also add to the new innovations and technologies that will be acquired to enrich our farming activities."
He said the use of modern technology would demand some level of education and "this is where the youth is encouraged to venture into agriculture to make it easier to adapt the technologies that will be taught".
Mr Paul Boadu, a Research Scientist at CSIR-STEPRI and a member of the team, said farmers in the two countries expressed concern that they had started experiencing the negative impact of climate change.
Whilst farmers in The Gambia are using adaptation measures like cultivating wetlands, planting deeper than the usual depth as well as planting more trees, their counterparts in Ghana have little activity on adaptation measures.
The research scientists called for the intensification of the use of agricultural extension officers to assist farmers in improving their farming activities, find a source of finance for farmers and deepen the collaboration and network between farmers and researchers to improve the impact of agriculture.