Cynthia Onunka - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Conference Presentations by Cynthia Onunka
However, the sector is characterized by primitive agriculture and over-reliance on rain-fed agric... more However, the sector is characterized by primitive agriculture and over-reliance on rain-fed agriculture, which has resulted to the poor performance of the sector . Given that the majority of the rural Nigeria
This study provides an overview of banana and plantain in West Africa. West Africa is one of the ... more This study provides an overview of banana and plantain in West Africa. West Africa is one of the major plantain-producing regions of the world, accounting for about 32% of worldwide production. The major plantain-producing countries in the region include Ghana, Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire, and Guinea. Banana is also cultivated in West Africa but account for only 2.3% of worldwide production. The major banana-producing countries in the region include Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, and Liberia. Banana and plantain have become major food and cash crops in the region. Since the last decade, plantain yields in West Africa have experienced slight increases, with the largest production of 3.7 million metric tons in Ghana, contributing about 13.1% to the agricultural Gross Domestic Product. Cote d'lvoire ranks the highest producer of bananas with about 320,000 metric tons in West Africa. Although plantain production in West Africa is much higher than banana production, banana is presently of greater importance in terms of world trade. Whereas plantain marketing is characterized by small-scale, widely dispersed producers, banana production is generally more centralized, involving larger production firms and a more structured marketing and transportation system. In West Africa, the sustained production of banana and plantain is endangered by several yield constraining factors including pests and diseases, low technology adoption and environmental factors especially under smallholder management. However, there is room for progress in obtaining bigger yield of these crops. Banana and plantain production enterprises in West Africa have great prospects in the area of employment generation, contributions to national income and gross domestic product, poverty alleviation, economic and industrial growth and rural development. Recommendations are drawn for the provision of market information outfits to disseminate information timely to banana and plantain marketers, price stability, and the need for intensive research on the growth requirements for the sustained production of the crops.
This study provides an overview of banana and plantain in West Africa. West Africa is one of the ... more This study provides an overview of banana and plantain in West Africa. West Africa is one of the major plantain-producing regions of the world, accounting for about 32% of worldwide production. The major plantain-producing countries in the region include Ghana, Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire, and Guinea. Banana is also cultivated in West Africa but account for only 2.3% of worldwide production. The major banana-producing countries in the region include Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, and Liberia. Banana and plantain have become major food and cash crops in the region. Since the last decade, plantain yields in West Africa have experienced slight increases, with the largest production of 3.7 million metric tons in Ghana, contributing about 13.1% to the agricultural Gross Domestic Product. Cote d'lvoire ranks the highest producer of bananas with about 320,000 metric tons in West Africa. Although plantain production in West Africa is much higher than banana production, banana is presently of greater importance in terms of world trade. Whereas plantain marketing is characterized by small-scale, widely dispersed producers, banana production is generally more centralized, involving larger production firms and a more structured marketing and transportation system. In West Africa, the sustained production of banana and plantain is endangered by several yield constraining factors including pests and diseases, low technology adoption and environmental factors especially under smallholder management. However, there is room for progress in obtaining bigger yield of these crops. Banana and plantain production enterprises in West Africa have great prospects in the area of employment generation, contributions to national income and gross domestic product, poverty alleviation, economic and industrial growth and rural development. Recommendations are drawn for the provision of market information outfits to disseminate information timely to banana and plantain marketers, price stability, and the need for intensive research on the growth requirements for the sustained production of the crops.
Proceedings of the Second International Conference On Food Security and Hidden Hunger,Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike (AE-FUNAI), 8th – 10th October, 2018 , 2018
With the increase in urban poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition, there is now a renewed inte... more With the increase in urban poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition, there is now a renewed interest in looking at alternative strategies for improving urban livelihoods. Urban Agriculture (UA) which entails production, processing and selling of food and other products within and around cities and towns is gaining ground as a mitigating measure to these challenges in many urban centres worldwide. In attempt to contribute to knowledge on the subject matter, this study therefore investigated the contribution of Urban Agriculture to Household Food Security in South-East Nigeria. A sample of 280 urban farming households were selected using a multistage sampling technique. Data for the study were collected with the aid of a semi-structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics including mean, frequency and percentages was employed to analyse the data. The study findings showed that urban agriculture contributes 46 %, 63 %, 20 % and 39 % to the urban household meat and poultry; roots, tubers and legumes; fish and shellfish; fruits and vegetable food security needs respectively. It was therefore recommended that the government should document a policy in support of urban agriculture, ensuring the availability and affordability of farm inputs to farmers.
Papers by Cynthia Onunka
International Journal of Agricultural Science and Research, 2017
Diversification of livelihoods is a recurrently applied approach for cushioning economic and envi... more Diversification of livelihoods is a recurrently applied approach for cushioning economic and environmental shocks on the path to improving food security. Therefore, this study was conducted to empirically analyse the effect of livelihood diversification, on the food security status of the rural farming households. The study was conducted in Udi local government area, Enugu state, Nigeria. The study drew a sample of 60 rural households through a multi-stage random sampling technique. Data obtained were analysed using food security index, tobit regression model and Pearson Product Moment Correlation. The two-third mean per capital monthly food expenditure (food security line) for the entire household was ₦1,430.18. More than half (55%) of the sampled households were food insecure. The tobit regression result indicated that the household size, farm size, gender, age and dependency ratio were found to have significant effect in determining diversification of the farming households livelihood sources. The Pearson Product Moment Correlation coefficient obtained for the diversification index (0.61) was positive and significant at 1 percent level of probability. Policy implications were drawn for birth control, poverty alleviation programs which would enhance their livelihood diversification activities, and the creation of sustainable off-farm and non-farm employment opportunities.
Journal of Development and Agricultural Economics, 2018
The dynamic nature of human adaptation and coping strategies to climate change continues to arous... more The dynamic nature of human adaptation and coping strategies to climate change continues to arouse the interest of environmental researchers. This study contributed to this growing area of research by examining the drivers and some socioeconomic factors influencing individual and household adaptation to climate change. Data were collected through household surveys and in-depth interviews. Descriptive statistics, binomial logistic regression, multiple regression analysis, and content/discourse analysis were employed to analyse data collected. The study result shows that the majority of the respondents adopt low cost and low skill coping responses against cold spell. The comfort of the household was found to be the key driver of adaptation to cold spell. Meanwhile, government support and having previous experience of flooding increases the chances of households adopting flood defense measures. The result further shows that house type (p<0.01), house ownership (p<0.01), and income (p<0.05) were significant factors affecting the level of adaptation strategies adopted. Age, gender, and education were found not to be significant in affecting the level of adaptation strategies adopted. The study recommended that government support as well as improvement in some socioeconomic factors like income level and educational level will increase individual and household resilience against climate change.
African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, 2020
This study provides an overview of banana and plantain in West Africa. West Africa is one of the ... more This study provides an overview of banana and plantain in West Africa. West Africa is one of the major plantain-producing regions of the world, accounting for about 32% of worldwide production. The major plantain-producing countries in the region include Ghana, Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire, and Guinea. Banana is also cultivated in West Africa but account for only 2.3% of worldwide production. The major banana-producing countries in the region include Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, and Liberia. Banana and plantain have become major food and cash crops in the region. Since the last decade, plantain yields in West Africa have experienced slight increases, with the largest production of 3.7 million metric tons in Ghana, contributing about 13.1% to the agricultural Gross Domestic Product. Cote d'lvoire ranks the highest producer of bananas with about 320,000 metric tons in West Africa. Although plantain production in West Africa is much higher than banana production, banana is presently of greater importance in terms of world trade. Whereas plantain marketing is characterized by small-scale, widely dispersed producers, banana production is generally more centralized, involving larger production firms and a more structured marketing and transportation system. In West Africa, the sustained production of banana and plantain is endangered by several yield constraining factors including pests and diseases, low technology adoption and environmental factors especially under smallholder management. However, there is room for progress in obtaining bigger yield of these crops. Banana and plantain production enterprises in West Africa have great prospects in the area of employment generation, contributions to national income and gross domestic product, poverty alleviation, economic and industrial growth and rural development. Recommendations are drawn for the provision of market information outfits to disseminate information timely to banana and plantain marketers, price stability, and the need for intensive research on the growth requirements for the sustained production of the crops.
Journal of Tropical Agriculture, 2020
This study employed geo-physical Land Use Land Cover (LULC) satellite data and crop yield data to... more This study employed geo-physical Land Use Land Cover (LULC) satellite data and crop yield data to examine the trend of agricultural land-use change and how it affected food security in the Nigerian state of Benue. Satellite imageries were downloaded for the years 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2015 from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) website, while crop yield data from 1980 to 2015 were obtained from the Benue State Ministry of Agriculture. Satellite image datasets were analyzed using remote sensing and GIS techniques, and data extracted for a quantitative analysis while crop yield data and data on percentage changes in cropland/vegetation were analyzed using regression analysis. The results of the study showed that the trend of agricultural land-use change in Benue state, Nigeria is tending towards reduction in agricultural lands. While this negative trend was found to reduce the output of some crops (e.g. yam, maize and groundnut), it seemed to have also spurred an increa...
![Research paper thumbnail of Emerging Issues in Biofuel Policies and Governance Processes : The Case of United States Renewable Fuel Standard [U.S. RFS] and the European Union Renewable Energy Directive [EU-RED]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/78648340/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](International Journal of Accounting Research
Biofuels are currently at the Centre stage of attention for policy makers and climate concerned e... more Biofuels are currently at the Centre stage of attention for policy makers and climate concerned end-users seeking more sustainable energy source for sustainable environment. This is because of its potential as an alternative and/or cleaner source of energy. However, questions are being raised about the capability of biofuels to achieve the dual goal of environmental and energy security without jeopardizing global food security. To set realistic target for future biofuel options, it is important to assess biofuel sustainability based on their prospects and implications on critical emerging issues such as energy supply security, climate change mitigation, biodiversity and ecosystem preservation, and food security. This paper presents a review of different governance approaches undertaken by the key actors in the biofuel industry (U.S. and EU) to address these emerging issues and regulate the sustainability of biofuel production. Two of such programmed were examined-The United States Renewable Fuel Standard [U.S. RFS], and the European Union Renewable Energy Directive [EU-RED]. Efforts were made to examine the related environmental and economic implications of their policy initiatives and governance processes with a view to determining their outcomes across a wide range of stakeholders. Emphasis was placed on binding regulations and standardized mechanisms of bilateral and multilateral agreements at the global level.
Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal
The study analysed the strategies used by the rural households to cope with food insecurity in Ud... more The study analysed the strategies used by the rural households to cope with food insecurity in Udi local government area of Enugu state. Data were collected through household surveys using semi-structured questionnaires. Descriptive and inferential statistical tools were employed to analyse the data for the study. Households were grouped based on their food security status (food secure and food insecure). The study result showed that the two-group household differed significantly in some of their socioeconomic characteristics. The study confirms that the coping strategies employed by the vulnerable households were not mutually exclusive, rather a mixed approach comprising multiple strategies were adopted to cushion food insecurity shocks. Furthermore, socioeconomic factors such as income (p<0.01), marital status (p<0.1) and educational level (p<0.01) were found to negatively influence the number of coping strategy adopted by rural households while the dependency ratio (p<0.01) was positively significant. Policy implications were drawn for education promotion, poverty alleviation programs and the creation of sustainable off-farm employment opportunities.
Journal of Development and Agricultural Economics Vol. 10(9), pp. 279-291,2018, 2018
The dynamic nature of human adaptation and coping strategies to climate change continues to arous... more The dynamic nature of human adaptation and coping strategies to climate change continues to arouse the interest of environmental researchers. This study contributed to this growing area of research by examining the drivers and some socioeconomic factors influencing individual and household adaptation to climate change. Data were collected through household surveys and in-depth interviews. Descriptive statistics, binomial logistic regression, multiple regression analysis, and content/discourse analysis were employed to analyse data collected. The study result shows that the majority of the respondents adopt low cost and low skill coping responses against cold spell. The comfort of the household was found to be the key driver of adaptation to cold spell. Meanwhile, government support and having previous experience of flooding increases the chances of households adopting flood defense measures. The result further shows that house type (p<0.01), house ownership (p<0.01), and income (p<0.05) were significant factors affecting the level of adaptation strategies adopted. Age, gender, and education were found not to be significant in affecting the level of adaptation strategies adopted. The study recommended that government support as well as improvement in some socioeconomic factors like income level and educational level will increase individual and household resilience against climate change.
Afr. J. Food Agric. Nutr. Dev. 2020; 20(2): 15474-15489, 2020
This study provides an overview of banana and plantain in West Africa. West Africa is one of the ... more This study provides an overview of banana and plantain in West Africa. West Africa is one of the major plantain-producing regions of the world, accounting for about 32% of worldwide production. The major plantain-producing countries in the region include Ghana, Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire, and Guinea. Banana is also cultivated in West Africa but account for only 2.3% of worldwide production. The major banana-producing countries in the region include Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, and Liberia. Banana and plantain have become major food and cash crops in the region. Since the last decade, plantain yields in West Africa have experienced slight increases, with the largest production of 3.7 million metric tons in Ghana, contributing about 13.1% to the agricultural Gross Domestic Product. Cote d’lvoire ranks the highest producer of bananas with about 320,000 metric tons in West Africa. Although plantain production in West Africa is much higher than banana production, banana is presently of greater importance in terms of world trade. Whereas plantain marketing is characterized by small-scale, widely dispersed producers, banana production is generally more centralized, involving larger production firms and a more structured marketing and transportation system. In West Africa, the sustained production of banana and plantain is endangered by several yield constraining factors including pests and diseases, low technology adoption and environmental factors especially under smallholder management. However, there is room for progress in obtaining bigger yield of these crops. Banana and plantain production enterprises in West Africa have great prospects in the area of employment generation, contributions to national income and gross domestic product, poverty alleviation, economic and industrial growth and rural development. Recommendations are drawn for the provision of market information outfits to disseminate information timely to banana and plantain marketers, price stability, and the need for intensive research on the growth requirements for the sustained production of the crops.
Journal of Tropical Agriculture 57 (2): 105-113, 2019, 2019
This study employed geo-physical Land Use Land Cover (LULC) satellite data and crop yield data to... more This study employed geo-physical Land Use Land Cover (LULC) satellite data and crop yield data to examine the trend of agricultural land-use change and how it affected food security in the Nigerian state of Benue. Satellite imageries were downloaded for the years 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2015 from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) website, while crop yield data from 1980 to 2015 were obtained from the Benue State Ministry of Agriculture. Satellite image datasets were analyzed using remote sensing and GIS techniques, and data extracted for a quantitative analysis while crop yield data and data on percentage changes in cropland/vegetation were analyzed using regression analysis. The results of the study showed that the trend of agricultural land-use change in Benue state, Nigeria is tending towards reduction in agricultural lands. While this negative trend was found to reduce the output of some crops (e.g. yam, maize and groundnut), it seemed to have also spurred an increase in the production of other crops with more economic value (e.g. rice and cassava) due to intensification. The study recommends that appropriate landuse policies should be put in place to prevent unguarded loss of agricultural lands so as to forestall looming food security crisis.
However, the sector is characterized by primitive agriculture and over-reliance on rain-fed agric... more However, the sector is characterized by primitive agriculture and over-reliance on rain-fed agriculture, which has resulted to the poor performance of the sector . Given that the majority of the rural Nigeria
This study provides an overview of banana and plantain in West Africa. West Africa is one of the ... more This study provides an overview of banana and plantain in West Africa. West Africa is one of the major plantain-producing regions of the world, accounting for about 32% of worldwide production. The major plantain-producing countries in the region include Ghana, Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire, and Guinea. Banana is also cultivated in West Africa but account for only 2.3% of worldwide production. The major banana-producing countries in the region include Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, and Liberia. Banana and plantain have become major food and cash crops in the region. Since the last decade, plantain yields in West Africa have experienced slight increases, with the largest production of 3.7 million metric tons in Ghana, contributing about 13.1% to the agricultural Gross Domestic Product. Cote d'lvoire ranks the highest producer of bananas with about 320,000 metric tons in West Africa. Although plantain production in West Africa is much higher than banana production, banana is presently of greater importance in terms of world trade. Whereas plantain marketing is characterized by small-scale, widely dispersed producers, banana production is generally more centralized, involving larger production firms and a more structured marketing and transportation system. In West Africa, the sustained production of banana and plantain is endangered by several yield constraining factors including pests and diseases, low technology adoption and environmental factors especially under smallholder management. However, there is room for progress in obtaining bigger yield of these crops. Banana and plantain production enterprises in West Africa have great prospects in the area of employment generation, contributions to national income and gross domestic product, poverty alleviation, economic and industrial growth and rural development. Recommendations are drawn for the provision of market information outfits to disseminate information timely to banana and plantain marketers, price stability, and the need for intensive research on the growth requirements for the sustained production of the crops.
This study provides an overview of banana and plantain in West Africa. West Africa is one of the ... more This study provides an overview of banana and plantain in West Africa. West Africa is one of the major plantain-producing regions of the world, accounting for about 32% of worldwide production. The major plantain-producing countries in the region include Ghana, Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire, and Guinea. Banana is also cultivated in West Africa but account for only 2.3% of worldwide production. The major banana-producing countries in the region include Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, and Liberia. Banana and plantain have become major food and cash crops in the region. Since the last decade, plantain yields in West Africa have experienced slight increases, with the largest production of 3.7 million metric tons in Ghana, contributing about 13.1% to the agricultural Gross Domestic Product. Cote d'lvoire ranks the highest producer of bananas with about 320,000 metric tons in West Africa. Although plantain production in West Africa is much higher than banana production, banana is presently of greater importance in terms of world trade. Whereas plantain marketing is characterized by small-scale, widely dispersed producers, banana production is generally more centralized, involving larger production firms and a more structured marketing and transportation system. In West Africa, the sustained production of banana and plantain is endangered by several yield constraining factors including pests and diseases, low technology adoption and environmental factors especially under smallholder management. However, there is room for progress in obtaining bigger yield of these crops. Banana and plantain production enterprises in West Africa have great prospects in the area of employment generation, contributions to national income and gross domestic product, poverty alleviation, economic and industrial growth and rural development. Recommendations are drawn for the provision of market information outfits to disseminate information timely to banana and plantain marketers, price stability, and the need for intensive research on the growth requirements for the sustained production of the crops.
Proceedings of the Second International Conference On Food Security and Hidden Hunger,Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike (AE-FUNAI), 8th – 10th October, 2018 , 2018
With the increase in urban poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition, there is now a renewed inte... more With the increase in urban poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition, there is now a renewed interest in looking at alternative strategies for improving urban livelihoods. Urban Agriculture (UA) which entails production, processing and selling of food and other products within and around cities and towns is gaining ground as a mitigating measure to these challenges in many urban centres worldwide. In attempt to contribute to knowledge on the subject matter, this study therefore investigated the contribution of Urban Agriculture to Household Food Security in South-East Nigeria. A sample of 280 urban farming households were selected using a multistage sampling technique. Data for the study were collected with the aid of a semi-structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics including mean, frequency and percentages was employed to analyse the data. The study findings showed that urban agriculture contributes 46 %, 63 %, 20 % and 39 % to the urban household meat and poultry; roots, tubers and legumes; fish and shellfish; fruits and vegetable food security needs respectively. It was therefore recommended that the government should document a policy in support of urban agriculture, ensuring the availability and affordability of farm inputs to farmers.
International Journal of Agricultural Science and Research, 2017
Diversification of livelihoods is a recurrently applied approach for cushioning economic and envi... more Diversification of livelihoods is a recurrently applied approach for cushioning economic and environmental shocks on the path to improving food security. Therefore, this study was conducted to empirically analyse the effect of livelihood diversification, on the food security status of the rural farming households. The study was conducted in Udi local government area, Enugu state, Nigeria. The study drew a sample of 60 rural households through a multi-stage random sampling technique. Data obtained were analysed using food security index, tobit regression model and Pearson Product Moment Correlation. The two-third mean per capital monthly food expenditure (food security line) for the entire household was ₦1,430.18. More than half (55%) of the sampled households were food insecure. The tobit regression result indicated that the household size, farm size, gender, age and dependency ratio were found to have significant effect in determining diversification of the farming households livelihood sources. The Pearson Product Moment Correlation coefficient obtained for the diversification index (0.61) was positive and significant at 1 percent level of probability. Policy implications were drawn for birth control, poverty alleviation programs which would enhance their livelihood diversification activities, and the creation of sustainable off-farm and non-farm employment opportunities.
Journal of Development and Agricultural Economics, 2018
The dynamic nature of human adaptation and coping strategies to climate change continues to arous... more The dynamic nature of human adaptation and coping strategies to climate change continues to arouse the interest of environmental researchers. This study contributed to this growing area of research by examining the drivers and some socioeconomic factors influencing individual and household adaptation to climate change. Data were collected through household surveys and in-depth interviews. Descriptive statistics, binomial logistic regression, multiple regression analysis, and content/discourse analysis were employed to analyse data collected. The study result shows that the majority of the respondents adopt low cost and low skill coping responses against cold spell. The comfort of the household was found to be the key driver of adaptation to cold spell. Meanwhile, government support and having previous experience of flooding increases the chances of households adopting flood defense measures. The result further shows that house type (p<0.01), house ownership (p<0.01), and income (p<0.05) were significant factors affecting the level of adaptation strategies adopted. Age, gender, and education were found not to be significant in affecting the level of adaptation strategies adopted. The study recommended that government support as well as improvement in some socioeconomic factors like income level and educational level will increase individual and household resilience against climate change.
African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, 2020
This study provides an overview of banana and plantain in West Africa. West Africa is one of the ... more This study provides an overview of banana and plantain in West Africa. West Africa is one of the major plantain-producing regions of the world, accounting for about 32% of worldwide production. The major plantain-producing countries in the region include Ghana, Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire, and Guinea. Banana is also cultivated in West Africa but account for only 2.3% of worldwide production. The major banana-producing countries in the region include Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, and Liberia. Banana and plantain have become major food and cash crops in the region. Since the last decade, plantain yields in West Africa have experienced slight increases, with the largest production of 3.7 million metric tons in Ghana, contributing about 13.1% to the agricultural Gross Domestic Product. Cote d'lvoire ranks the highest producer of bananas with about 320,000 metric tons in West Africa. Although plantain production in West Africa is much higher than banana production, banana is presently of greater importance in terms of world trade. Whereas plantain marketing is characterized by small-scale, widely dispersed producers, banana production is generally more centralized, involving larger production firms and a more structured marketing and transportation system. In West Africa, the sustained production of banana and plantain is endangered by several yield constraining factors including pests and diseases, low technology adoption and environmental factors especially under smallholder management. However, there is room for progress in obtaining bigger yield of these crops. Banana and plantain production enterprises in West Africa have great prospects in the area of employment generation, contributions to national income and gross domestic product, poverty alleviation, economic and industrial growth and rural development. Recommendations are drawn for the provision of market information outfits to disseminate information timely to banana and plantain marketers, price stability, and the need for intensive research on the growth requirements for the sustained production of the crops.
Journal of Tropical Agriculture, 2020
This study employed geo-physical Land Use Land Cover (LULC) satellite data and crop yield data to... more This study employed geo-physical Land Use Land Cover (LULC) satellite data and crop yield data to examine the trend of agricultural land-use change and how it affected food security in the Nigerian state of Benue. Satellite imageries were downloaded for the years 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2015 from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) website, while crop yield data from 1980 to 2015 were obtained from the Benue State Ministry of Agriculture. Satellite image datasets were analyzed using remote sensing and GIS techniques, and data extracted for a quantitative analysis while crop yield data and data on percentage changes in cropland/vegetation were analyzed using regression analysis. The results of the study showed that the trend of agricultural land-use change in Benue state, Nigeria is tending towards reduction in agricultural lands. While this negative trend was found to reduce the output of some crops (e.g. yam, maize and groundnut), it seemed to have also spurred an increa...
International Journal of Accounting Research
Biofuels are currently at the Centre stage of attention for policy makers and climate concerned e... more Biofuels are currently at the Centre stage of attention for policy makers and climate concerned end-users seeking more sustainable energy source for sustainable environment. This is because of its potential as an alternative and/or cleaner source of energy. However, questions are being raised about the capability of biofuels to achieve the dual goal of environmental and energy security without jeopardizing global food security. To set realistic target for future biofuel options, it is important to assess biofuel sustainability based on their prospects and implications on critical emerging issues such as energy supply security, climate change mitigation, biodiversity and ecosystem preservation, and food security. This paper presents a review of different governance approaches undertaken by the key actors in the biofuel industry (U.S. and EU) to address these emerging issues and regulate the sustainability of biofuel production. Two of such programmed were examined-The United States Renewable Fuel Standard [U.S. RFS], and the European Union Renewable Energy Directive [EU-RED]. Efforts were made to examine the related environmental and economic implications of their policy initiatives and governance processes with a view to determining their outcomes across a wide range of stakeholders. Emphasis was placed on binding regulations and standardized mechanisms of bilateral and multilateral agreements at the global level.
Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal
The study analysed the strategies used by the rural households to cope with food insecurity in Ud... more The study analysed the strategies used by the rural households to cope with food insecurity in Udi local government area of Enugu state. Data were collected through household surveys using semi-structured questionnaires. Descriptive and inferential statistical tools were employed to analyse the data for the study. Households were grouped based on their food security status (food secure and food insecure). The study result showed that the two-group household differed significantly in some of their socioeconomic characteristics. The study confirms that the coping strategies employed by the vulnerable households were not mutually exclusive, rather a mixed approach comprising multiple strategies were adopted to cushion food insecurity shocks. Furthermore, socioeconomic factors such as income (p<0.01), marital status (p<0.1) and educational level (p<0.01) were found to negatively influence the number of coping strategy adopted by rural households while the dependency ratio (p<0.01) was positively significant. Policy implications were drawn for education promotion, poverty alleviation programs and the creation of sustainable off-farm employment opportunities.
Journal of Development and Agricultural Economics Vol. 10(9), pp. 279-291,2018, 2018
The dynamic nature of human adaptation and coping strategies to climate change continues to arous... more The dynamic nature of human adaptation and coping strategies to climate change continues to arouse the interest of environmental researchers. This study contributed to this growing area of research by examining the drivers and some socioeconomic factors influencing individual and household adaptation to climate change. Data were collected through household surveys and in-depth interviews. Descriptive statistics, binomial logistic regression, multiple regression analysis, and content/discourse analysis were employed to analyse data collected. The study result shows that the majority of the respondents adopt low cost and low skill coping responses against cold spell. The comfort of the household was found to be the key driver of adaptation to cold spell. Meanwhile, government support and having previous experience of flooding increases the chances of households adopting flood defense measures. The result further shows that house type (p<0.01), house ownership (p<0.01), and income (p<0.05) were significant factors affecting the level of adaptation strategies adopted. Age, gender, and education were found not to be significant in affecting the level of adaptation strategies adopted. The study recommended that government support as well as improvement in some socioeconomic factors like income level and educational level will increase individual and household resilience against climate change.
Afr. J. Food Agric. Nutr. Dev. 2020; 20(2): 15474-15489, 2020
This study provides an overview of banana and plantain in West Africa. West Africa is one of the ... more This study provides an overview of banana and plantain in West Africa. West Africa is one of the major plantain-producing regions of the world, accounting for about 32% of worldwide production. The major plantain-producing countries in the region include Ghana, Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire, and Guinea. Banana is also cultivated in West Africa but account for only 2.3% of worldwide production. The major banana-producing countries in the region include Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, and Liberia. Banana and plantain have become major food and cash crops in the region. Since the last decade, plantain yields in West Africa have experienced slight increases, with the largest production of 3.7 million metric tons in Ghana, contributing about 13.1% to the agricultural Gross Domestic Product. Cote d’lvoire ranks the highest producer of bananas with about 320,000 metric tons in West Africa. Although plantain production in West Africa is much higher than banana production, banana is presently of greater importance in terms of world trade. Whereas plantain marketing is characterized by small-scale, widely dispersed producers, banana production is generally more centralized, involving larger production firms and a more structured marketing and transportation system. In West Africa, the sustained production of banana and plantain is endangered by several yield constraining factors including pests and diseases, low technology adoption and environmental factors especially under smallholder management. However, there is room for progress in obtaining bigger yield of these crops. Banana and plantain production enterprises in West Africa have great prospects in the area of employment generation, contributions to national income and gross domestic product, poverty alleviation, economic and industrial growth and rural development. Recommendations are drawn for the provision of market information outfits to disseminate information timely to banana and plantain marketers, price stability, and the need for intensive research on the growth requirements for the sustained production of the crops.
Journal of Tropical Agriculture 57 (2): 105-113, 2019, 2019
This study employed geo-physical Land Use Land Cover (LULC) satellite data and crop yield data to... more This study employed geo-physical Land Use Land Cover (LULC) satellite data and crop yield data to examine the trend of agricultural land-use change and how it affected food security in the Nigerian state of Benue. Satellite imageries were downloaded for the years 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2015 from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) website, while crop yield data from 1980 to 2015 were obtained from the Benue State Ministry of Agriculture. Satellite image datasets were analyzed using remote sensing and GIS techniques, and data extracted for a quantitative analysis while crop yield data and data on percentage changes in cropland/vegetation were analyzed using regression analysis. The results of the study showed that the trend of agricultural land-use change in Benue state, Nigeria is tending towards reduction in agricultural lands. While this negative trend was found to reduce the output of some crops (e.g. yam, maize and groundnut), it seemed to have also spurred an increase in the production of other crops with more economic value (e.g. rice and cassava) due to intensification. The study recommends that appropriate landuse policies should be put in place to prevent unguarded loss of agricultural lands so as to forestall looming food security crisis.