Does Cassava-Based Farmers’ Sociodemographic Characteristics and Perception Predict Adaptation Strategies to Climate Variability in Rain Forest and Derived Savannah Ecosystems of Nigeria?

Adefunke Fadilat O Ayinde ,Peter A Johnston ,O Olujimi Olanrewaju ,Dasgupta Purnamita

doi:10.7176/dcs/10-11-04

Abstract

The study assessed the sociodemographic characteristics of cassava-based (CB) farmers’ and their perception of climate variability as predictors of their adaptation strategies. The study covers cassava-based farmers in both the rain forest and derived savannah ecosystems of Nigeria. The study described the farmers’ socioeconomic characteristics, their perception of climate variability, adaptation strategies and their socio-demographic factors influencing climate variability adaptation strategies. A cross-sectional survey using a multistage sampling procedure, was used to sample 400 cassava-based farmers in the study area. The data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics and multivariate probit (MVP) regression. Results indicated that 71.68% of the CB farmers were males, married (85.21%), had primary school certificates (30.08%) and received trainings in local adaptation strategy technologies (62.41%) and climate adaptation strategies (65.16%). Majority (68.67%) felt climate variability implied low yield and reduced water supply for farming activities in some years (69.42%). Most (85.21%) CB farmers combatted climate variability through water management practices, 68.17% utilised weather forecast information while 44.86% adapted planting and harvesting time to target peak produce prices. Farmers’ perception and their socioeconomic characteristics that predicted their climate variability strategies included access to extension training (p<0.01), experience of previous season’s low yield (p<0.01), membership of professional associations (p<0.01), farming experience (p<0.10) and credit access (p<0.10). Cassava-based farmers’ climate variability perception and their sociodemographic characteristics predicted their climate variability adaptation strategies. Enhancement trainings and improved formal credit access are veritable ways to minimise the adverse effects of climate variability on cassava production in the study area. Keywords: Climate, Perception, Adaptation, Cassava farmers, Ecosystem, Multivariate probit. DOI: 10.7176/DCS/10-11-04 Publication date: November 30 th 2020

Highlights

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13, emphasised effective adaptation to climate variability/change as a necessity that must be attended to, the world over, especially in developing countries
Climate variability is so important in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), such that it is closely linked to other important SDGs such as SDGs 1, 2 and 3 for no poverty, zero hunger as well as good health and wellbeing in the region due to their deep connection with SDG 13 (UN 2015a)
This may affect the ability to efficiently combine resources to manage farm production when confronted with the negative effects of climate variability (Dereje & Nega 2019)

Summary

Introduction

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13, emphasised effective adaptation to climate variability/change as a necessity that must be attended to, the world over, especially in developing countries. The achievement of these SDGs is critical, especially for SSA where the livelihoods of most households revolve around agriculture; of which climate variability posits major threat (Dube et al 2016). This is more so as the United Nations (UN) has indicated, the year 2019 as a ‘critical year’ for climate action (UN 2019). Efforts to systematically tackle the challenges of climate variability and its possible adverse effects on farmers’ livelihoods remain notable from the standpoint of policy, research and sustainable development

Methods

Results

Conclusion