Food Security Studies

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http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/15

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Browsing Food Security Studies by Subject "Adaptation practice, Climate change, Food Security, Smallholder farmers."

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    Adaptation Practices of Smallholder Farmers to Climate Change In Ankober Woreda North Shewa, Ethiopia
    (Addis Ababa University, 2019-06) Berhane, Tewodros; Bantider PhD, Amare
    Climate change is rapidly emerging as a global critical development issue affecting many sectors in the world and considered to be one of the most serious threat to sustainable development. Adaptation to climate change involves changes in agricultural management practices in response to changes in climate conditions. This study was done to investigate the contributions of different climate change adaptation strategies to increase food production by evaluating indigenous knowledge and emerging climate change adaptation strategies among smallholder farmers in Ankober woreda. Random sampling method was used to select a sample of 150 smallholder farmers. Structured questionnaires and participatory rural appraisal approach were the techniques used to collect data. The method of data analysis was both qualitative and quantitative where descriptive statistics was used to analyses the objectives. The study identified various indigenous knowledge and emerging adaptation strategies and evaluated institutional and socio-economic and factors influencing the choice of these strategies. Terracing and mulching were the most common indigenous and emerging strategies respectively. Farmer’s organization, extension services, and access to information were dynamic in assisting adaptation of reasonable handling strategies which improves small holder’s food production and consequently food security. The common farmer’s adaptation strategies in the study area were growing a variety of crops, feed preservation, time of planting, rearing different breeds of cattle and soil fertility management. Different adaptation strategies have been practiced both at individual and group level. Communities in the study area have developed indigenous knowledge of agricultural adaptation strategies to cope with climate variability and extreme events. Adaptations outside of agriculture are also important for livelihood diversification and increasing resilience to climate variability in study area. Government, research institutions and stakeholder need to provide climate change information to farmers through training and extension services. Research, trainings and extension on climate change issues should be provided by both the public and private sectors as they are crucial in ensuring farmers adapt to climate change. Investments in infrastructure such as roads and irrigation systems, affordable credit schemes, and climate information systems would help create the enabling conditions for adaptation to climate change. Experience with these strategies needs to be shared among communities to assure adaptation practices.