Effect of Climate smart Agriculture on Food Security of Farming Households in Delta State Nigeria

The effects of climatic change on crop production and food security have resulted in the demand for an intentional shift in farming system. It therefore becomes imperative to improve on farming practices through the use of climate-smart agriculture especially in Nigeria where majority of citizens rely on agriculture for their livelihood. Climate-smart agriculture practices suggest effective ways and strategies to achieve soil moisture conversation, enhance soil fertility, stabilise crop yields and livelihoods as well as achieve food security for the nation. This study, therefore, investigated the effect of climate-smart agriculture on food security of farming households in Delta state, Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure was used to obtain data from 276 farmers with a structured questionnaire for the study. Climate-smart agriculture practices were measured using CSA index, while food security was measured using 3-dimensions on food availability, accessibility, and affordability. Descriptive statistics and semi-logarithm regression were used as the estimation technique. The results showed that the extent of adoption of CSA practices in the study area was quite low and often on a small scale while farmers mostly adopted intercropping. Also, the findings on the effect of CSA practices varied with each dimension of food security. It was therefore recommended that farmers should be provided awareness on the importance of CSA and given technical assistance and support to transit to the effective farming strategy.