Impact of climate change on food security of smallholder farmers in Shashogo district, central Ethiopia

Abstract

Climate variability/climate change has become the biggest challenge to food security. Objective of this study is to determine the impact of climate change/variability on food security. The study utilized primary and secondary data sources obtained through household surveys. The result shows that rainfall in Belg varies greatly, suggesting that seasonal harvests in Belg are failing, leading to a decline in production levels in certain quantities and limited food availability. Rainfall in Kiremt fluctuates moderately, while annual rainfall has the lowest fluctuations. Crop prices increase every year in recently. This change in agricultural crop yields was due to climate change manifested in price volatility. Consumers have been adversely affected by an increase in crop prices. As reported FGD group that crop yields have been declining from year to year consequences of this are fluctuations in upcoming and late season rainfall, an unusual rise in temperature, flooding and the spread of the American warm, which the community to shift their livelihood to non-agricultural activities. Next to crop farming, raising livestock is one of the main sources of income for rural communities; nevertheless, the productivity and stocks of livestock may be impacted by climate change. Food stability is impacted not only by climate variability but also by increasingly frequent and intense extreme climate events that affect availability, access, and use. Stakeholders who would take steps to combat a loss of agricultural production in the Belg season were presented with the study’s results.