Assessment Of Climate Change Mitigation Practices Among Arable Crop Farmers

1.1 Background of the Study

Agriculture is a major sector of the Nigerian economy, providing employment for about 70% of the population. The agricultural sector is the mainstay of the economy though her development funds at present derive more from Petroleum oil and Gas exploration (Ifeanyi-obi et al., 2012). It is the principal source of food and livelihood especially in rural areas.Agriculture in Nigeria as in most other developing countries is dominated by small scale farmers (Oladeebo, 2004). Small holder farmers constitute 80% of the farming population in the country (Awoke and Okorji, 2004). These farmers produce on subsistence level with the objectives of satisfying household food needs and little surplus for sale (Awoke et al., 2004).

Agriculture places heavy burden on the environment in the process of providing humanity with food and fiber, while climate is the primary determinant of agricultural productivity. Given the fundamental role of agriculture in human welfare, concern has been expressed by federal agencies and others regarding the potential effects of climate change on agricultural productivity. Interest in this issue has motivated a substantial body of research on climate change and agriculture over the past decade (Lobellet al, 2008; Wolfe et al, 2005; Fischer et al, 2002). Climate change is expected to influence crop and livestock production, hydrologic balances, input supplies and other components of 

agricultural systems. However, the nature of these biophysical effects and the human responses to them are complex and uncertain.  

It is evidenced that climate change will have a strong impact on Nigeria-particularly in the areas of agriculture; land use, energy, biodiversity, health and water resources. Nigeria, like all the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa, is highly vulnerable to the impacts of Climate Change (IPCC 2007; NEST 2004). It was also, noted that Nigeria specifically ought to be concerned by climate change because of the country’s high vulnerability due to its long (800km) coastline that is prone to sea-level rise and the risk of fierce storms.  

In addition, almost 2/3 of Nigeria’s land cover is prone to drought and desertification. Its water resources are under threat which will affect energy sources (like the Kainji and Shiroro dam). Moreover, rain-fed agriculture practiced and fishing activities from which 2/3 of the Nigerian population depend primarily on foods and livelihoods are also under serious threat besides the high population pressures of 140 million people surviving on the physical environment through various activities within an area of 923,000 square kilometers (IPCC 2007; NEST 2004).  

Food crop farmers in South Western Nigeria provide the bulk of arable crops that are consumed locally, also, major food crop supplies to other regions in the country. The local farmers are experiencing climate change even though they have not considered its deeper implications. This is evidenced in the late arrival of rain, the drying-up of stream and small rivers that usually flows yearround, the seasonal shifting of the “Mango rains” and of the fruiting period in the Southern part of Oyo 

State (Ogbomosho), and the gradual disappearance of flood-recession cropping in riverine areas of 

Ondostate are among the effects of climate disturbances in some communities of South-Western Nigeria (BNRCC, 2008).  

To approach the issue appropriately, one must take into account local communities’ understanding of climate change, since they perceive climate as having a strong spiritual, emotional, and physical dimension. It is therefore assumed that these communities have an inborn, adaptive knowledge from which to draw and survive in high-stress ecological and socio-economic conditions. Thus, the human response is critical to understanding and estimating the effects of climate change on production and food supply for ease of adaptation. Accounting for these adaptations and adjustments is necessary in order to estimate climate change mitigations and responses.  

Although the agricultural sector is being transformed by commercialization at the small, medium and large scale enterprise levels, the country is still faced with a number of constraints. According to International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) (2008), the constraints include poor agricultural pricing and low fertilizer use, low access to agricultural credit, land tenure insecurity and land degradation, poverty and gender issues, low and unstable investment in agricultural research as well as poor market access and marketing efficiency. In addition to these, climate and weather parameters have consistently been changing.

Climate refers to the average or typical weather conditions observed over a long period of time (usually over 30 years) for a give area (Spencer, 2009). The classical period is 30 years as defined by the World Metrological Organization (WMO). Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, precipitation, atmospheric partial count and other metrological elemental measurement in a given region. On the other hand, climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over period ranging from decades to million of years (Wikipedia, 2010).

Climate change and Agriculture are inter-related processes, both of which take place on a global scale. Global warming is projected to have significant impacts on conditions affecting Agriculture. These conditions include temperature, carbon dioxide, glacial run off, precipitation and their interactions are of significant importance. These changes in climate have had negative effects on agriculture over the years with arable crops not left out. Between 1996 and 2003, world grain production has stabilized over 1.8 billion tones. From 2000 to 2003, grain stocks have been dropping, resulting in a global grain harvest that was short of consumption by 93 million of tons in 2003 (Wikipedia, 2010). There has also been a reduction in harvest of these crops.

In recent times, farmers have devised several methods and indigenous technologies to mitigate the effect of climate change. In south-western Nigeria, Research have shown various adaptive measures (Apata et al, 2009). The major adaptation technologies and innovators identified include irrigation (Fadama), Afforestation, use of drought tolerant crop varieties and organic practices in form of manuring, mulching and fallowing as well as planting- date adjustment and timely harvesting of crops. However, these measures are not free of constraint. The constraints observed included lack of finance, low level of awareness about climate change, low level of technology, high illiteracy level and difficulty in getting accurate result (Apata et al., 2009). However, the study tends to examine the climate change mitigation practices among arable crop farmers in Edo Central Zone, Edo State Nigeria.