Climate variability, subsistence agriculture and household food security in rural Ghana

Abstract

This study investigates smallholder farmers’ perceived impact of climate variability on subsistence agriculture. The study further explores household food security from access perspective and the factors that influence food accessibility in the rural Adansi North District of Ghana. The study randomly selected 378 smallholder farm households while 41 key informants were purposively selected. Questionnaire survey and semi-structured interview were employed to collect primary data. Descriptive and inferential analysis were computed for quantitative data while qualitative data was analyzed thematically. Results show that climate variability greatly affects subsistence agriculture, as a result of the reduction in agriculture yields, thereby leading to household food insecurity. It also emerged that the majority of households (58%) experienced food anxiety while 62% were unable to access their preferred quantity and quality food. Household food security is significantly influenced by gender, household size, years of farming experience, access to forest and adaptation. The implications of the study have been teased out alongside the recommendations.