Is Climate Change Posing a Challenge to Food Security? Empirical Evidence from a Small Island Developing Country

Abstract

Food security remains one of the main goals for all countries worldwide. While several agencies have mobilized resources to achieve this goal, food insecurity remains a significant livelihood challenge in many developing countries. Therefore, in this paper, we examine some critical factors affecting the food security of rural agricultural households in Fiji using the latest Agricultural Census data. This study reveals that farmers’ access to fishing grounds and non-timber forest resources can improve farming households’ food security. The study also shows that while the government vigorously pursues a transition from subsistence agriculture towards commercial agriculture, improving market access and reducing transportation costs will significantly improve food security. Given the importance of regular cash income, the study also demonstrates that off-farm employment of household members, particularly larger-sized households, will substantially help to improve food security. Lastly, and most importantly, the government must quickly examine how it could mitigate challenges posed by climate change, as this could devastate food security via reduced food production.