Adaptation to Climate Change and Impact on Smallholder Farmers’ Food Security in South Africa

If not adequately managed, climate change is predicted to have a large negative impact on smallholder subsistence farmers, posing a significant danger to household food security. However, the role of adaptive techniques used by farming households to reduce these negative effects and, as a result, th...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Abiodun A. Ogundeji
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-04-01
Series:Agriculture
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/12/5/589
_version_ 1797502390714236928
author Abiodun A. Ogundeji
author_facet Abiodun A. Ogundeji
author_sort Abiodun A. Ogundeji
collection DOAJ
description If not adequately managed, climate change is predicted to have a large negative impact on smallholder subsistence farmers, posing a significant danger to household food security. However, the role of adaptive techniques used by farming households to reduce these negative effects and, as a result, their food insecurity status has not been sufficiently evaluated. This study explores the factors that influence smallholder farmers’ adoption of climate change adaptation measures, as well as their impact on household food security. Using an endogenous treatment-effect ordered probit model, agricultural households’ food security status is likely to significantly improve when they employ measures to adapt to adverse climatic conditions. The empirical findings also show that the gender makeup of the household, age, tropical livestock unit, and access to climatic information improve the likelihood of smallholder farmers adopting climate change adaptation measures. Based on the findings, this study advocates that governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) support smallholder farmers’ Indigenous adaptation options with various institutional, regulatory, and technological assistance, with a particular emphasis on female-headed households.
first_indexed 2024-03-10T03:32:26Z
format Article
id doaj.art-82f6408d74fd42f2b229f118fbfcb7f0
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2077-0472
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-10T03:32:26Z
publishDate 2022-04-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Agriculture
spelling doaj.art-82f6408d74fd42f2b229f118fbfcb7f02023-11-23T09:38:36ZengMDPI AGAgriculture2077-04722022-04-0112558910.3390/agriculture12050589Adaptation to Climate Change and Impact on Smallholder Farmers’ Food Security in South AfricaAbiodun A. Ogundeji0Disaster Management Training and Education Centre for Africa, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein 9300, South AfricaIf not adequately managed, climate change is predicted to have a large negative impact on smallholder subsistence farmers, posing a significant danger to household food security. However, the role of adaptive techniques used by farming households to reduce these negative effects and, as a result, their food insecurity status has not been sufficiently evaluated. This study explores the factors that influence smallholder farmers’ adoption of climate change adaptation measures, as well as their impact on household food security. Using an endogenous treatment-effect ordered probit model, agricultural households’ food security status is likely to significantly improve when they employ measures to adapt to adverse climatic conditions. The empirical findings also show that the gender makeup of the household, age, tropical livestock unit, and access to climatic information improve the likelihood of smallholder farmers adopting climate change adaptation measures. Based on the findings, this study advocates that governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) support smallholder farmers’ Indigenous adaptation options with various institutional, regulatory, and technological assistance, with a particular emphasis on female-headed households.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/12/5/589food securityclimate changeadaptation strategiestreatment-effect ordered probit
spellingShingle Abiodun A. Ogundeji
Adaptation to Climate Change and Impact on Smallholder Farmers’ Food Security in South Africa
Agriculture
food security
climate change
adaptation strategies
treatment-effect ordered probit
title Adaptation to Climate Change and Impact on Smallholder Farmers’ Food Security in South Africa
title_full Adaptation to Climate Change and Impact on Smallholder Farmers’ Food Security in South Africa
title_fullStr Adaptation to Climate Change and Impact on Smallholder Farmers’ Food Security in South Africa
title_full_unstemmed Adaptation to Climate Change and Impact on Smallholder Farmers’ Food Security in South Africa
title_short Adaptation to Climate Change and Impact on Smallholder Farmers’ Food Security in South Africa
title_sort adaptation to climate change and impact on smallholder farmers food security in south africa
topic food security
climate change
adaptation strategies
treatment-effect ordered probit
url https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/12/5/589
work_keys_str_mv AT abiodunaogundeji adaptationtoclimatechangeandimpactonsmallholderfarmersfoodsecurityinsouthafrica