Assessment of the Perception of Climate Change and Food Security Among Farmers in Bekwarra Local Government Area of Cross River State

Abstract

The impact of climate change on agricultural activities and yield has become a source of concern worldwide. In light of the fact that agricultural activities in developing societies are largely traditional and dependent on nature, variabilities in weather and climate especially temperature and rainfall impact heavily on yields and food security. Given this situation, this work studied rainfall and temperature trends as elements of weather and climate most impactful on agriculture in Bekwarra LGA of Cross River State, Nigeria. The work also included a study of farmers’ perception of climate change and their adaptation strategies as well as trends in food production especially cassava and peanuts. The study generated data using surveys and secondary sources and employed the statistical techniques mean, average deviation, standard deviation, coefficient of variation and The Mann-Kendall test for analysis. The study found no increasing or decreasing trends in rainfall or temperature but found that both rainfall and temperature have become very erratic and unpredictable, yet food production is on the increase. The study also found that farmers’ perception of climate change does not correlate with climatic data. The study recommends increased and sustained use of adaptive measures including the use of improved varieties of crops and irrigation.