Mainstreaming adaptation is adding formulated strategies to current policies and programs to address climate concerns. Mainstreaming has been proposed as a tool for governments to ensure that traditional knowledge is utilized alongside scientific knowledge in climate change adaptation policies, since scientific models alone may not be effective. Moreover, since climate change impacts differ from one ecological zone to another, adaptation strategies must be tailored specifically to address its impacts on a given ecological zone. This study explores the ways in which adaptation strategies used by small-scale crop farmers in Ghana can be integrated into policy to build system resilience from the perspectives of policymakers. The study covered four districts from two agro-ecological zones in northern Ghana, using in-depth interviews with members of parliament (national level), officials from the agricultural department, assembly representatives, planning officers, and local NGO representatives (sub-national level). The findings revealed that smallholder farmers combine both scientific technologies (improved crop varieties) with traditional methods (preparation of land, using organic matter for fertilization, mixed cropping, delaying planting, fallowing, weather observation, and diversification of cropping systems) in adapting to climate impacts. The study identified a lack of political will, lack of resources, and limited capacity at the local level as the major barriers for mainstreaming small-scale farmer’s traditional knowledge into policy. The study concludes that, according to policymakers and influencers, mainstreaming the techniques of smallholder farmers based on their traditional alongside scientific-based techniques into policy will enhance small-scale farming system resilience. For adaptation policies to be relevant to the local situation, their formulation should be prioritized using a bottom-up approach.