Climate change impacts on household food security and adaptation strategies in southern Ethiopia

Abstract

Climate change is predicted to adversely affect agricultural yields, particularly in African countries such as Ethiopia, where crop production relies heavily on environmental factors such as rainfall and temperature. However, there have only been a limited number of studies on the effects of climate change dynamics on food security in Africa, particularly at the household level. We therefore analyzed local climatic changes, the status of household food security, climate‐related causes of food insecurity, food security determinants, and the adaptation strategies of local farmers. Three decades meteorological data were analyzed. A total of 185 farmers were selected using simple random sampling and interviewed, together with focus groups. Data were analyzed using the descriptive and inferential statistics together with the logit regression model. Climate change over the last three decades was found to have a negative impact on the food security status of households. Crop production was constrained by poor rainfall, severe erosion, and increases in temperature. The unpredictability of rainfall, pests, and diseases were also contributing factors. Using the calorie intake approach, 60.5% of sampled respondents were found to be food insecure. Analysis using the logistic regression model showed that age and family size, as well as the amount of cultivated land and rainfall, were the significant (p < .05) factors influencing household food security status. A large proportion (69.8%) of farmers were incorporating adapting strategies into farm management including improved use of crop varieties and livestock production, in addition to income diversification. Taken together, these findings show that improving climate change awareness, facilitating the participation of female‐led households in income generation, and strengthening existing adaptation measures have positive impacts on food security.

Interplay of Climate Variability, Land Use Change, Crop Yield and Farm Households Food Security in Offin River Basin, Ghana

“…Kuwornu et al [31] and Frimpong [32] in Ghana found 78.5% and 60% of the households respectively food insecure, which falls to meet the minimum calorie requirement. Mesfin [27], Weldearegay and Tedla [15] and Mekonnen et al [16] observed in their studies of the impact of climate variability on household food in Ethiopia that 56.0%, 84.3% and 60.5% of the households respectively were food insecure fell below the daily recommended calorie intake.…”

“…Globally, climate variability coupled with wars, natural disasters and political instability are mentioned to be direct cause of food insecurity for millions of people in the world [13]. Previous studies have shown that changes in climatic condition largely affect food productions system and food security [14][15][16]. Wheeler and Von Braun [17] pointed out that climate variability is the main driver of food security in the developing world, because it affects the productivity of the agriculture, its stability and food systems.…”

Knowledge of climate change and adaptation by smallholder farmers: evidence from southern Ethiopia

“…Some studies have attempted to assess farmers’ awareness of climate change/variability and its impacts on agriculture in Ethiopia ( Belay et al., 2017 ; Below et al., 2015 ; Etana et al., 2021 ; Mekonnen et al., 2021 ; Mekuyie and Mulu, 2021 ; Thinda et al., 2021 ; Zerssa et al., 2021 ). On the one hand, it has been reported that most farmers have noticed a change in climate ( Weldegebriel and Prowse, 2017 ).…”

Smallholder farmers expand production area of the perennial crop enset as a climate coping strategy in a drought‐prone indigenous agrisystem

“…Drought arises from a negative balance of water supply and demand and can be categorised in terms of intensity, duration, and extent (Funk & Shukla, 2020). Ethiopia has experienced multiple drought events over recent decades and is particularly exposed to climate‐related impacts due to its dependence on rain‐fed subsistence agriculture (Cochrane, 2017; Mekonnen et al, 2020). Extreme drought and famine in 1983–1984 resulted in over one million deaths from starvation and malnutrition (Fazzini et al, 2015) and more recent severe droughts occurred in 2000, 2002–2003, 2009, 2011, and 2015 (Bewket & Conway, 2007; Cochrane, 2017; Mera, 2018; Viste et al, 2013).…”