Yams are economically important starchy staple in West Africa, which is eaten as boiled, pounded, roasted or fried and can be dried to produce yam flour (Ayedoji et al., 2012; Oluwole et al., 2013). It is a staple food for over 300 million people (Mignouna et al., 2003). The yam belt of West  Africa  produces   95%   of   the   annual   global production of yams which is close to 51 million metric tonnes (Demuyakor et al., 2013; Fu et al., 2011). Ghana produces 25% of yam traded on the international market (Bancroft et al., 2005; SRID, 2011) and ranks third after Nigeria and Ivory Coast and contributes 17% of Agricultural Gross Domestic Product (AGDP) (FAO,2009). Yam contributes substantially to household food security (Akromah, 1993; Kenyon and Fowler, 2000). In Ghana yam occupies 11.6% of the total cropped area and annual production is estimated to be 5.8 million metric tonnes in 2009 (FAO, 2009). Income generation from yam improves the livelih ood of resource poor farmers especially women (Bennett-Lartey and Akromah (1996). Intensive cultivation of improved yam cultivars as a cash crop reduces the number of cultivars grown in a specific area, resulting in genetic erosion (Park et al., 2005; Akromah and Bennett-Lartey, 1993). Usually farmers do not have full access to local varieties due to limitations in financial resources, facilities and the available diversity (Cooper et al., 1992; Dansi et al., 2000). Unpredictable climate extremes manifesting in loss of vegetative cover, flooding, drought and declining soil fertility are all factors militating against the loss of yam diversity. Ghana falls within the West and Central African yam belt and abounds in yam diversity especially the Guinea yam complex (Dioscorea rotundata and Dioscorea cayenensis). Other species such as Dioscorea alata are introduced species that have adapted well with lots of diversity. In Ghana, a number of surveys related to varietal identification (Demuyakor, et al., 2013), diseases and pests debilitating the crop (Asante et al., 2007; Tanzubil and Yakubu, 1997; Osei et al., 2004) have been carried out. In the West Africa sub-region, a number of studies have been carried out relating to production (Sesay et al., 2013; Dansi et al., 2013). Traditional breeding of yam is relatively difficult and production systems have for a long time relied on the spontaneous hybridization in the wild. There is also the need for innovations in the management of yam genetic resources in the face of current threats to germplasm loss (Mignouna et al., 2003). On-farm conservation in farmers’ fields, germplasm exchange of cultivars with wider adaptation across geographical locations are some of the few interventions that need attention (Arunachalam, 2000; Akromah, 1993; Park et al., 2005). There is therefore the need to assess the existing diversity of yams, farmers’ needs and preferences and to make the resulting information and diversity more available to all stakeholders in the yam value chain (Witcombe et al., 2001; Kenyon and Fowler, 2000). The decentralization of conservation activities on-farm will allow a more efficient regeneration of materials adapted to the various agro-ecological zones and an increased access to diversity of yams by farmers and other users. The knowledge of existing diversity and farmers’ preferences are also a prerequisite for managing the decentralization process in a rational and efficient manner (Almekinders and Elings, 2001; Howard, 2003). The objectives of the study were to survey the diversity of yam in four communities in Southern Ghana in terms of the number of species cultivated per household, assessment of endangered species, identification of challenges facing yam farmers, preferred yam cultivars by farmers and to   develop strategies for sustainable production of yams for food security, income generation and sustainable livelihood.