Adaptation to climate change and the impacts on household food security among rural farmers in uMzinyathi District of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa (original) (raw)

It is anticipated that smallholder subsistence farmers will face severe negative impacts from climate change, with household food security being seriously affected. This paper examines the methods of adaptation to climate change used by smallholder farmers and their impacts on household food security. The necessity to adapt to climate change is caused by a combination of sensitivity and exposure and the success in doing so depends on adaptive capacity. Household food security was determined using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS). Of the surveyed households, 95 % were aware that climate is changing and expected severe impacts on their crop production systems. Households undertake crop and soil management practices in order to respond to the changing climate. About 83 % of households anticipated that they would alter their livelihoods systems in response to climate change, with 59 % of households indicating that government grants would play an important role in this. Of those assessed, 97 % were severely food insecure and the remaining 3 % were moderately food insecure. Householders were worried about the negative impacts of climate change which included droughts, floods and soil erosion. Householders who were vulnerable to climate change recorded high levels of food insecurity. Decline in prices of farm products, increases in costs of farm inputs and anxiety over occurrence of livestock diseases exacerbated household food insecurity. Information will play a critical role in mitigating the impacts of climate change on household food security but farmers should also be assisted with appropriate input packages, such as seeds and fertilizers that can help them adapt effectively. Keywords Vulnerability. Foodpolicy. Subsistencefarming. Food prices. Early warning systems Definitions Climate change: A change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods Exposure: The presence of people, livelihoods, species or ecosystems, environmental function, services and resources, infrastructure or economic, social or cultural assets in places and setups that could be adversely affected Vulnerability: The propensity or predisposition to be adversely affected Impact: The effect on natural and human systems of extreme weather and climate events and of climate change Adaptation: The reductions in risk and vulnerability through actions of adjusting practices and processes and capital response to the threat of climate change. Livelihood: A means of making a living. It encompasses people's capabilities, assets, income and activities required to secure the necessities of life Risk: The potential for consequences where something of value is at stake and the outcome is uncertain, recognising the diversity in values. Risk results from the interaction of vulnerability, exposure and hazard. Food security: Food security exists when all people at all times have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food that meets there dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy lifestyle