Between rainfall and food poverty: assessing vulnerability to climate change in an agricultural economy

The agricultural sector in Nigeria provides a socio-economic resource base for exiting pervasive poverty, and transforming the economy. However, with the challenges posed by climate change through variability in rainfall, the agricultural livelihoods and poverty status of the population could be threatened due to the vulnerability context of the country. This paper explores the relationship between rainfall and food poverty through the assessment of vulnerability to climate change in an agricultural economy by geo-referencing and mapping of rainfall variability and food poverty. It provides a quantification of the scale and location of the area under food poverty and rainfall variability with scenarios that provide alternative sustainable development pathways of desirable outcomes. The coefficients of variation of rainfall or precipitation seasonality were computed from geo-referenced data and topologically overlaid on the most recent food poverty profile for Nigeria. The findings reveal intriguing phenomena bordering on agro-climatic and socio-economic factors of climate change vulnerability. The findings provide a basis for policy formulation and implementation on inequity of food poverty and environmental sustainability. It offers empirical insights on how to rethink concepts of socio-economic and environmental sustainability through landscapes and livelihoods as outcomes of vulnerability contexts. The paper concludes that, there is need for agricultural transformation along vulnerability dimensions. The evidence of the nexus between rainfall and food poverty could be a new model for promoting sustainability of the agrarian economy in Nigeria

Determinants of fertilizer use in northern Nigeria

Farm-level decision concerning the use of fertilizer is governed by socio-economic and institutional factors, asmuch as by agronomic and ecological concerns. Using data from a sample of 320 farm households in 16 geo-referenced villages, this study assessed the determinants of fertilizer use in northern Nigeria. Results show that the intensity of fertilizer use increases with family labor and physical access to fertilizer, but declines with cultivated land and plot distance from homestead. Consistent with the population-induced innovation hypothesis, the evidence suggests that smallholder farmers use fertilizer more intensively than larger farmers. The study concludes with implications for policy aimed at land use intensification through increased fertilizer use among smallholders

Assessing farm-level limitations and potentials for organic agriculture by agro-ecological zones and development domains in Northern Nigeria of West Africa

Farm-level use of organic fertilizer could be influenced by development domains that comprise human population density and markets access. Analysis of 320 farm households from 16 geo-referenced villages provided the basis for assessing farm-level limitations and potentials for organic agriculture by agro-ecological zones and development domains in northern Nigeria of West Africa. The analysis was based on four identified development domains. The development domains were clusters of population and market access which are: low population density, low market access (LPLM); low population density, high market access (LPHM); high population density, low market access (HPLM); and high population density, high market access (HPHM). It was found that cereal-legume based cropping systems accounted for 74 percent of the total share of organic fertilizer used on the farm. The actual and potential use of organic fertilizer revealed that the current levels of organic fertilizer use as share of the minimum requirements for take-off for organic agriculture in Nigeria was low (37 percent) despite its potentials. Based cost effectiveness of livestock ownership, the development domains of HPLM and HPHM in the northern Guinea savanna revealed best potential for take-off of organic agriculture in Nigeria