Effect of climate smart agricultural practices on poverty among farmers in North West Nigeria

Abstract

The current level of poverty in Nigeria is disturbing and climate change impedes food security and increases poverty indirectly and directly on individuals or households. Farming households are changing agricultural practices as a result of global observation of climatic and environmental changes. This research work recognised a link which exists between climate change, climate smart agricultural practices (CSAP) and poverty status of funning households in North West Nigeria. The study examined the socioeconomic characteristics of :farmers; the constraints of using climate smart agricultural techniques; :factors influencing indicators of CSAP among different crops and livestock enterprises; poverty status for low-users and high-users of climate smart agricultural techniques and the effect of CSAP on poverty status of rural :farmers. This is with a view to establishing the consequences of climate variation and its influence on poverty status among rural : farmers in North West Nigeria. The multi-stage, sampling techniques was used to select three hundred (300) respondents who provided the relevant primary data for this study through a set of pre-tested structured questionnaires. The data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, Foster Greer and Thorberk and Equally Distributed Equivalent (EDE) indices, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Ordinary Least Square regression and instrumental variable of Pro bit regression model The descriptive analysis revealed that average age of high-users of climate smart agriculture (CSA) in Katsina State was 55 years but that of Sokoto State was 52 years. Majority of the respondents (94%) were males; 65% had informal Arabic education Lack of demonstration of climate smart agricultural techniques and lack of processing technology were the major constraints to the use of CSAP. The regression analysis result showed that age, gender, education, marital status, household size, housing materials, communication kits and lack of time to use CSAP were significant for maiz.e enterprise. While FGT relative poverty index for food expenditure showed that the low users of CSAP were 8% poorer than high users. And CSAP for both crops and livestock enterprises reduce the probability of being poor significantly. Hence, the study rejected the null hypotheses' which stated that CSAP do not significantly affect poverty status of :farmers in the study area. The study recommended that Governmental and :farmers ' organisations can :fashion out a :favourable training workshop to inspire the low-users of CSA to improve on their performance. Also, the female gender should be encouraged to develop interest in CSAP, like the women empowerment programmes instituted by the government through Agricultural Development Project (ADP) and Katsina State Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (KTARDA). The policies on informal education should be enhanced and enforced in the curriculum to meet the CSAP challenges. Extension delivery system approach should be upgraded to meet the present information age.