THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION STRATEGIES ON FOOD CROP PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY

ABSTRACT

This study examined the effects of climate change adaptation strategies on food crop
production efficiency in Southwestern Nigeria. The study used multistage sampling technique
and primary data were collected from 360 food crop farmers (i.e. 180 respondents were
randomly selected from each selected state from the savanna and the rainforest agroecological
zones that dominates the region). The analytical techniques involved descriptive
and inferential statistics. Results of the multinomial logit analysis showed that household size
negatively influenced the use of multiple crop varieties, land fragmentation (i.e. multiple farm
plots), multiple planting dates and crop diversification. Age of household head had an
inverse relationship with the choice and use of multiple crop varieties, land fragmentation
(multiple farm plots), multiple planting dates and off-farm employment. Education had a
negative effect on the choice and use of multiple crop varieties and multiple planting dates.
Sex had positive influence on the choice and use of multiple crop varieties, multiple planting
dates and off-farm employment but average distance had a positive relationship with the
choice and use of land fragmentation.

Tenure security positively influenced the choice and
use of crop diversification but access to credit negatively correlated with multiple crop
varieties, multiple planting dates and crop diversification. The stochastic frontier analysis
showed that labour, farm size and other agrochemicals are highly significant at 1% level of
probability in food crop production. The computed mean technical efficiency estimate was
0.84. The technical inefficiency model showed that land fragmentation (i.e. multiple farm
plots) and multiple planting dates had significant positive relationship with technical
inefficiency but years of climate change awareness and social capital had significant inverse
relationship with it. The stochastic frontier profit function showed that rent on farm land and
price of labour were highly significant at 1% level of probability. The computed average
profit efficiency of the respondents was 0.67. The profit inefficiency model revealed that offfarm
employment, multiple planting dates, crop diversification and education level had
significant positive relationship with profit inefficiency but land fragmentation (i.e. multiple
farm plots), years of climate change awareness and social capital had negative relationship
with it. The factor analysis revealed that the major constraints to climate change adaptation
among the food crop farmers were public, institutional and labour constraints; land,
neighbourhood norms and religious beliefs constraints; high cost of inputs, technological and
information constraints; farm distance, access to climate information, off-farm-job and credit
constraints; and poor agricultural programmes and service delivery constraints. The study,
therefore, recommends, inter alia, proactive regulatory land use systems that will make food
crop farmers to participate in a more secured land ownership system should be put in place
to enhance their investment in climate change adaptation strategies that has a long-term
effect. Morealso, Government and non-governmental organizations should help the farmers
in the area of provision and/ or facilitate the provision of input-based adaptation strategies in
the study area. Again, intensive use of already proven adaptation strategies at farm-level by
the farmers at their present resource technology will still make them to reduce technical and
profit inefficiencies by 16% and 33% respectively, in the study area.