scholarly journals Food Security, Conservation Agriculture and Pulses: Evidence from Smallholder Farmers in Zambia

2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Progress H. Nyanga
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Conservation Agriculture

scholarly journals Innovative Pro-Smallholder Farmers’ Permanent Mulch for Better Soil Quality and Food Security Under Conservation Agriculture

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 605
Author(s):  
Sibongiseni Mgolozeli ◽  
Adornis D. Nciizah ◽  
Isaiah I. C. Wakindiki ◽  
Fhatuwani N. Mudau
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Soil Cover ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Smallholder Farming ◽  
Security Challenge

Soil degradation is the greatest threat to agricultural production globally. The practice of applying or retaining crop residues in the field as mulch is imperative to prevent soil erosion, maintain soil quality and improve crop productivity. However, smallholder farmers resort to maximizing profit by removing crop residues after harvest to sell or use them as feed for livestock. Agrimats are innovative pro-smallholder farming mulching materials that are manufactured using cheap or freely available organic waste materials. These materials include forestry waste, grasses, etc., therefore allowing smallholder farmers to make more profit through improved crop productivity for better food security. The most notable attributes of agrimats include their ability to prevent soil erosion, increase and sustain soil organic matter, suppress weeds, and conserve soil moisture. Food security challenge can be addressed by adopting agrimat technology as a sustainable permanent soil cover to improve soil quality and crop productivity. Agrimat incorporation in conservation agriculture practice could produce more food from less input resources (chemical fertilizers, water, etc.) with minimal or no adverse effect on the environment. This study aims to advocate permanent soil cover using agrimat as an innovative pro-smallholder farmer technology to improve soil quality for better food security.

scholarly journals Does Conservation Agriculture Enhance Household Food Security? Evidence from Smallholder Farmers in Nkhotakota in Malawi

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Blessings Laurence Jumbe ◽  
Wanangwa Hawire Nyambose
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Household Head ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Probit Regression ◽  
Maize Production ◽  
Governmental Organization ◽  
Household Food

<p>The paper identified factors that influence the adoption and contribution of conservation agriculture (CA) on household food security using household-level data collected in 2010 from Nkhotakota District, Central Malawi where Total Land Care (TLC) a local Non-governmental Organization (NGO) has been promoting CA. To determine factors that influence adoption of CA, a Probit regression model was used. Then, the paper compared estimated production function between adopters and non- adopters of CA. The Probit results show that age and education level of the household head, number of extension visits, and land holding size are important factors that influence farmers’ adoption of CA in the study area. Further results showed that CA adopters had more than 50% higher maize production than that of non-adopters from the Cobb-Douglas production estimates. From the findings, there should be improvement in the delivery of extension services in the promotion and dissemination of agricultural technology to foster wider adoption and improve food security status in the study areas. This can be achieved through increased number of extension workers, increase number of demonstrations when introducing CA technology and improved access to formal education. Our overall results show consistently that CA adopters are better off than non-adopters in various aspects such as maize production, per capita maize requirements and meal frequency. As such, the promoting and up-scaling of CA technologies to smallholder farmers should be intensified as an effective strategy for addressing household food insecurity than the promotion of chemical fertilizers use through programs such as the Farm Inputs Subsidy Program, which is not only unsustainable, but also inappropriate for poor resource farmers.</p>

scholarly journals Does smallholder farmers’ awareness of Sustainable Development Goal 2 improve household food security in the Northern Region of Ghana?

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Franklin Nantui Mabe ◽  
Eliasu Mumuni ◽  
Nashiru Sulemana
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Northern Region ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Switching Regression ◽  
Sustainable Development Goal ◽  
Endogenous Switching Regression ◽  
Development Goal ◽  
Household Food

Abstract Background Sustainable Development Goal 2 aims at ending hunger, achieving food security, improving nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture. Whilst some smallholder farmers are aware of this goal, others are not. The question that arises is whether or not awareness translates into food security. Therefore, this study assessed whether or not smallholder farmers’ awareness of Sustainable Development Goal 2 improves household food security in the Northern Region of Ghana. Methods The study used cross-sectional primary data collected from two districts and two municipalities in the region. An endogenous switching regression treatment effects model with ordered outcome was used to estimate the effects of smallholder farmers’ awareness of Sustainable Development Goal 2 on household food insecurity level. Results The age of household head, distance of households to the regional capital, membership of farmer-based organizations, access to e-extension, education, and ownership of radio are the key drivers of farmers’ awareness of Sustainable Development Goal 2. The results from the endogenous switching regression treatment effects model with ordered outcome showed that households who are aware of the second goal are more food secure than their counterparts. Conclusions It is therefore prudent for stakeholders promoting and championing Sustainable Development Goals to educate farmers on goal 2 as their awareness of the goal is critical to achieving food security.

scholarly journals Drought-tolerant Varieties as an Adaptation Strategy in the Context of Climate Change: Insight from Maize Production Systems in Benin

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Mohamed Nasser Baco
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Value Chains ◽  
Maize Production ◽  
Ecological Zones ◽  
Drought Tolerant ◽  
Agro Ecological Zones

Previous studies suggested that maize is set to become a cash crop while ensuring food security better than any other crop. However, climate change has become one of the key production constraints that are now hampering and threatening the sustainability of maize production systems. We conducted a study to better understand changes here defined as adaptations made by smallholder farmers to ensure food security and improve income through maize production in a climate change context. Our results show that maize farmers in northern Benin mainly rely on traditional seeds. Drought as abiotic stress is perceived by farmers in many agro-ecological zones as a disruptive factor for crop production, including maize. When drought is associated with pest damages, both the quantity (i.e. yield) and the quality (i.e. attributes) of products/harvests are negatively affected. The adverse effects of drought continue to reduce production in different agro-ecological zones of the country, because of the lack of widespread adoption of tolerant varieties. The study suggests actions towards the production of drought-tolerant maize seeds, a promotion of seed companies, the organization of actors and value chains. Apart from climate change, the promotion of value chains is also emerging as one of the important aspects to take into account to sustain maize production in Benin.

scholarly journals Rethinking Eucalyptus globulus Labill. Based Land Use Systems in Smallholder Farmers Livelihoods: A Case of Kolobo Watershed, West Shewa, Ethiopia

2018 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dadi Feyisa ◽  
Endalkachew Kissi ◽  
Zerihun Kebebew
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Eucalyptus Globulus ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Exchange Capacity ◽  
Cultivated Land ◽  
Central Highland ◽  
Land Use System ◽  
Physical And Chemical

AbstractDespite their restriction, smallholder farmers have been continuing growing Eucalyptus globulus in the cultivated land in the central highland of Ethiopia. Literature has shown controversial issues against E. globulus. Therefore, the objective of the study was to investigate the compatibility of E. globulus in the smallholder farmers’ land use system. Soil samples were collected from five different land uses and analysed for selected physical and chemical properties. The socioeconomic contribution of E. globulus was collected through household surveys from 110 households. Analysis of soil showed that organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen (TN) and cation exchange capacity (CEC) were significantly higher (P<0.05) under E. globulus compared to the cultivated land. The survey results also showed that the largest proportion (58%) of households was interested in growing E. globulus because of its multiple uses. About 83% of households responded that E. globulus help them to attain food security through increasing the purchasing power of smallholder farmers to buy agricultural inputs and food. This study has substantiated the role of E. globulus in the land use system of smallholder farmers. Most of the soil fertility indicators were better under E. globulus. The present finding reveals that E. globulus degrade the soil seemingly difficult to generalise. Growing E. globulus must be promoted under appealing land use to enhance smallholder farmers’ livelihoods. Removing E. globulus from the land use system may jeopardise the food security situation of many households.

scholarly journals Smallholder Farmers’ Challenges of Coping with COVID-19 Containments: Insights from two food regions in Indonesia

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (06) ◽  
pp. 18223-18244
Author(s):  
Silke Stöber ◽  
◽  
K Adinata ◽  
T Ramba ◽  
N Paganini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Observational Research ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Limited Mobility ◽  
Female Farmers ◽  
Price Spikes

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced governments around the world to impose containment measures to prevent the rapid spread of the corona virus. The Indonesian government implemented “large-scale social restrictions,” which have impacted farming and farmers’ food security. Farmers are both producers and consumers of food and, therefore, have been facing new challenges due to transport restrictions, price spikes for inputs, price drops for their produce, or conditions which aggravated cooperation, such as social distancing. This study aims at analysing the challenges of the containments from a smallholder farmer perspective and examining farmers’ coping potential. A digital survey with 323 farmers has been designed as comparative observational research in Toraja, South Sulawesi, and selected regions of Java. The Bonferroni Multiple Comparison Test was used to test for significance regarding socio-economic factors and space. A logistic regression model extracted determinants for crisis coping. Results reveal, that female farmers worry more about COVID-19 outbreak compared to men at a significant level. In contrast, male farmers, particularly in Java, are more concerned about social restrictions due to limited mobility. Food price spikes were reported in both regions, with sharp increases for fish, fruits, and vegetables in Java, for staples in Toraja, and for meat and sugar in both regions. Food groups, that trade through agents and brokers or are transported longer distances were affected most due to their complex and long supply chains that were disrupted during the restrictions. In Java, farmers face multiple shocks, of which climate change was reported even more often than the pandemic related shocks. Not being able to help each other on the farm due to social distancing is a significant concern of farmers in Toraja. As a result of food market disturbances, farmers began to grow and eat more vegetables and fruits. In conclusion, food security for farmers slightly decreased due to affordability, and market disruptions already point to long-term income losses. The study team recommends to promote smallholders’ healthy food production, value addition and direct end-consumer linkages to build back better their livelihoods post-COVID-19.

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