The agricultural sector which contributes between 20-50% of gross domestic product in Africa and employs about 60% of the population is greatly affected by climate change impacts. Agricultural productivity and food prices are expected to rise due to this impact thereby worsening the food insecurity and poor nutritional health conditions in the continent. Incidentally, the capacity in the continent to adapt is very low. Addressing these challenges will therefore require a holistic and integrated adaptation framework hence this study. A total of 360 respondents selected through a multi-stage random sampling technique participated in the study that took place in Southern Nigeria from 2008-2011. Results showed that majority of respondents (84%) were aware that some climate change characteristics such as uncertainties at the onset of farming season, extreme weather events including flooding and droughts, pests, diseases, weed infestation, and land degradation have all been on the increase. The most significant effects of climate change that manifested in the area were declining soil fertility and weed infestation. Some of the adaptation strategies adopted by farmers include increased weeding, changing the timing of farm operations, and processing of crops to reduce post-harvest losses. Although majority of respondents were aware of government policies aimed at protecting the environment, most of them agreed that these policies were not being effectively implemented. A mutually inclusive framework comprising of both indigenous and modern techniques, processes, practices and technologies was then developed from the study in order to guide farmers in adapting to climate change effects/impacts.

Climate change is perhaps the most serious environmental threat to the fight against hunger, malnutrition, disease and poverty in Africa, essentially because of its impact on agricultural productivity. The objective of this paper was to identify the major barriers to climate change adaptation among smallholder farmers of Southern Nigeria. The paper was based on primary data collected within the framework of the Development Partnership for Higher Education (DelPHE) Project from 360 farming households selected randomly from the region. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and factor analysis. The result of the analysis show that majority of the farmers were men (70%), relatively educated (average of 9 years in school) and practiced mixed farming (61%). The major factors constraining farmers from adapting to climate change impacts were-(a) land constraints which manifested itself in limited availability, high costs and poor ownership systems (tenure); (b) poor climate change information and agricultural extension service delivery; (c) high cost of farm inputs and processing facilities; (d) high cost of irrigation facilities and government irresponsiveness to climate change risk management, (e) credit constraints, (f) labour constraints, and (g) income constraints. The paper concludes with a recommendation that farmers need to be supported in order for them to effectively adapt to the climate change impacts that are already affecting their production and hence reduce hunger and poverty. These supports could come from governments, non-governmental organizations and even farmers' unions themselves.

This study investigated the determinants of willingness-to-pay for agronomic soil conservation practices among crop-based farmers in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Multi-stage random sampling technique was employed to select 90 crop-based farmers from six communities across the three agricultural zones in the State. Data were collected with the used of structured questionnaire. The data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics, binary probit model and factor analysis. The results obtained from the analyses showed that the effects of soil degradation on agricultural production in the area include: Pollution, limited space for agricultural production, erosion, deteriorated environmental quality and reduced soil nutrients among others. The socioeconomic attributes of the farmers that significantly influenced their willingness-to-pay for agronomic soil conservation measures include: age (p<0.05), education (p<0.01), farming experience (p<0.05), farm size (p<0.01) and household size (p<0.05). The factor constraints undermining effective application of agronomic soil conservation measures by crop-based farmers were inputs, finance, institutional challenge and environmental factor. Based on these findings, the study recommended socioeconomic capacity building of crop-based farmers in effective application of agronomic soil conservation measures, provision of required infrastructural facilities, education and institutional supports to the farmers for sustained food production through sustainable and environmental friendly soil conservation measures.

There is an increasing concern that climate change is already having an impact on poor, small scale oil palm farmers in Southern Nigeria. Researchers have shown that Nigeria is already being plagued with diverse ecological problems which have been linked to climate change. More so, increase in the severity of extreme weather events, sea level rise, coastal erosion, changes in weather pattern that affect oil palm production and changes in water availability are affecting vulnerable farmers and limiting their means of earning a living. The effect on families and communities can be devastating and adapting to these changes is essential. The paper highlights measures taken by famers to manage losses caused by climate change and difficulties encountered. A purposive and multi-stage random sampling technique was adopted in selecting 171 farmers from three states (Imo, Ondo and Delta). Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used in analyzing data. The constraints encountered by farmers in adopting climate change adaptation strategies were: high labor cost (0.759), land tenure (0.64), poor access to information (0.740), lack of training (0.767), lack of capital (0.820), limited availability of land (0.798) and lack of improved oil palm production technologies (0.438).

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