EFFECT OF CHANGE IN CLIMATE ON FOOD SECURITY OF CATFISH FARMERS IN ONDO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Climate change is an established reality, prompting nations worldwide to implement measures aimed at reducing anthropogenic carbon emissions and preparing for its impacts. Multistage sampling technique was employed in selecting the 231 catfish farmers for the study. Results revealed the mean age of catfish farmers to be 42 years (±10.69). Catfish production enterprise was male dominated (76%). The average number of years spent in school was 13 years (±4.89). The analysis revealed that catfish farmers, on average, had 11 years of farming experience, with a standard deviation of 7.74. Food secure households were estimated to be 42.86% while 57.14% of catfish farmers were food insecure. Factors contributing to rise in food insecurity among the catfish farmers in the study area were education (p<0.01), experience (p<0.05), household size (p<0.1) and climatic index (p<0.05). The study recommends that targeted education and training programs in catfish farming, along with strengthened extension services, are essential to improve management practices, climate resilience, and financial literacy among farmers. Additionally, promoting family planning and household resource management can help address food insecurity linked to larger household sizes and limited farming experience.