Abstract
Abstract Climate change hazards including droughts and floods are adversely affecting crop productivity and food security among Kenyan smallholder farmers. This article analyzes rainfall and temperature change effects on household food security in Kimandi-Wanyaga, in Murang’a County, Kenya. Both the meteorological and the community perceptions were analyzed. Monthly rainfall and temperature data for Thika Meteorological Station were analyzed for trends using MAKESENS procedure. The community perceptions data obtained through household survey, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and content analysis. The study hypotheses were tested using chi-square tests. The community perceived inadequate rainfall during crop growth (79%), reduced rainfall intensity (77%) and erratic onset and cessation of seasonal rainfall (73%) had interrupted their crop productivity. These disagreed with MAKESENS rainfall trends that showed statistically insignificant rainfall variability (α > 0.1). The community’s warmer temperature perceptions agreed with observed rising maximum temperature trend at 0.001 significance level. This study observed a significant relationship between the community’s perceived local rainfall and temperature changes, and household food security. For robust and strategically designed climate policies and programs for food security, governments need to communicate to policy makers the perceptions of smallholder farmers involved in autonomous climate adaptation.
Highlights
Sustainable agriculture promotes food security under the sustainable development goal 2 of ending hunger, achieving food security, and improving nutrition [1]
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 atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate change attributable to human activities altering the atmospheric composition, and climate variability attributable to natural causes” [4]
This study results revealed that the long season rainfall of March to May (MAM) had decreased by 9.42%, the short season rainfall of OND had increased by 18.89%, and the annual rainfall had increased by 0.37335%
Summary
Sustainable agriculture promotes food security under the sustainable development goal 2 of ending hunger, achieving food security, and improving nutrition [1]. Food production and good nutrition can enhance environmental sustainability, economic development, equity, and inclusion and reduce the burden on health systems [2]. Climate change impacts augment food security risks and threaten to erode the gains made against malnutrition and hunger among the most vulnerable nations and communities [3]. 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 atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate change attributable to human activities altering the atmospheric composition, and climate variability attributable to natural causes” [4]. Recent studies note that global rising temperatures will lower yields of major crops by 3–13% without accounting for adaptations and CO2 fertilization [5]
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