ABSTRACT
This study examined the effects of climate
change adaptation strategies on food crop production efficiency in Southwestern
Nigeria. The study used multistage sampling technique and primary data were
collected from 360 food crop farmers (i.e. 180 respondents were randomly
selected from each selected state from the savanna and the rainforest
agro-ecological zones that dominates the region). The analytical techniques
involved descriptive and inferential statistics. Results of the multinomial
logit analysis showed that household size negatively influenced the use of
multiple crop varieties, land fragmentation (i.e. multiple farm plots),
multiple planting dates and crop diversification. Age of household head had an
inverse relationship with the choice and use of multiple crop varieties, land
fragmentation (multiple farm plots), multiple planting dates and off-farm
employment. Education had a negative effect on the choice and use of multiple
crop varieties and multiple planting dates. Sex had positive influence on the
choice and use of multiple crop varieties, multiple planting dates and off-farm
employment but average distance had a positive relationship with the choice and
use of land fragmentation. Tenure security positively influenced the choice and
use of crop diversification but access to credit negatively correlated with
multiple crop varieties, multiple planting dates and crop diversification. The
stochastic frontier analysis showed that labour, farm size and other
agrochemicals are highly significant at 1% level of probability in food crop
production. The computed mean technical efficiency estimate was 0.84. The
technical inefficiency model showed that land fragmentation (i.e. multiple farm
plots) and multiple planting dates had significant positive relationship with
technical inefficiency but years of climate change awareness and social capital
had significant inverse relationship with it. The stochastic frontier profit
function showed that rent on farm land and price of labour were highly
significant at 1% level of probability. The computed average profit efficiency
of the respondents was 0.67. The profit inefficiency model revealed that
off-farm employment, multiple planting dates, crop diversification and
education level had significant positive relationship with profit inefficiency
but land fragmentation (i.e. multiple farm plots), years of climate change
awareness and social capital had negative relationship with it. The factor
analysis revealed that the major constraints to climate change adaptation among
the food crop farmers were public, institutional and labour constraints; land,
neighbourhood norms and religious beliefs constraints; high cost of inputs,
technological and information constraints; farm distance, access to climate
information, off-farm-job and credit constraints; and poor agricultural
programmes and service delivery constraints. The study, therefore, recommends,
inter alia, proactive regulatory land use systems that will make food crop
farmers to participate in a more secured land ownership system should be put in
place to enhance their investment in climate change adaptation strategies that
has a long-term effect. Morealso, Government and non-governmental organizations
should help the farmers in the area of provision and/ or facilitate the
provision of input-based adaptation strategies in the study area. Again,
intensive use of already proven adaptation strategies at farm-level by the
farmers at their present resource technology will still make them to reduce
technical and profit inefficiencies by 16% and 33% respectively, in the study
area.
CHAPTER
ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
of the Study
The process of
producing food requires resources, which could be natural or man-made
resources. Natural resources include all the materials and forces that are
supplied by nature. Those that are most essential for food crop production are
land, water, sunshine, air, temperature and soil conditions. Man-made resources
(include labour, capital or entrepreneurship) are supplied and influenced by
man (Olayide & Heady, 1982; Oyekale, Bolaji
& Olowa,
2009). Among the natural resources, climate is the predominant factor that
influences food crop production. Climate as defined by Oyekale et al. (2009) is the
state of atmosphere, which is created by weather events over a period of time.
A slight change in the climate will affect agriculture.
According to
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) defines climate change as a
change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity
that alters the composition of the global and/or regional atmosphere and which
is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time
periods (IPCC, 2001). It is obvious from this definition that change is an
inherent attribute of climate, which is caused by both human activities
(anthropogenic) and natural processes (biogeographical) (Odjugo, 2007, 2009).
Climate change is already affecting people, their livelihoods and ecosystems
and presents a great development challenge for the global community in general
and for the poor people in developing countries in particular (Khanal, 2009).
This also presents major challenges to scientists and policy makers.
Literature have
shown that for the past decades, anthropogenic factors like urbanization,
deforestation, population explosion, industrialization and the release of green
house gases (GHGs) are the major contributing factors to the depletion of the
ozone layer and its associated global warming and climate change (Buba, 2004;
Nigerian Environmental Study/ Action Team [NEST], 2003; Odjugo, 2007). For
example, unsustainable industrialization, which releases green house gases
(GHGs), is viewed as the main cause (Odjugo, 2009). The level of greenhouse
gases (GHGs) mainly Carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O)
and methane
(CH4)
have been rapidly increasing after industrial revolution. The increased level
of GHGs has
created a greenhouse effect
which subsequently altered precipitation patterns and global temperatures
around the world. Impacts have been witnessed in several areas due to change in
precipitation and temperature. The areas affected include agriculture,
forestry, water resources, biodiversity, desertification, human health, and
ecosystems goods and services globally (Khanal, 2009; Rosegrant et al.,2008).
Between 1960 and
1998 a decline in mean annual precipitation of between 20% and 40% has been
noted in West Africa compared to a 2% to 4% decline in tropical rain forest
regions (IPCC, 2007). It is also important to note that rural people and
agricultural production in Africa rely on rainfall for water supply with as
little as less than 4% of cultivated land under irrigation (Inter Academy
Council [IAC], 2004; World Bank, 2008). The predominance of rain-fed
agriculture, the scarcity of capital for adaptation measures, their warmer
baseline climates and their heightened exposure to extreme events (Nnamchi
& Ozor, 2009) reportedly in Africa agriculture to be more vulnerable to
climate change. Food crop is particularly sensitive to climate change because
crop yields depend largely on prevailing climate conditions (temperature and
rainfall patterns) (Palatnik & Roson, 2009), Southwestern Nigeria is not
exempted. The principal food crops grown in Southwestern Nigeria are cassava,
yams, maize, and cocoyams, which are also sensitive to climate variability and
climate change. Subsistence....
================================================================
Item Type: Ph.D Material | Attribute: 190 pages | Chapters: 1-5
Format: MS Word | Price: N3,000 | Delivery: Within 30Mins.
================================================================
No comments:
Post a Comment