Poverty Status of Climate Smart Agricultural Farmers in North West Nigeria.-Application of Foster Greer and Thorbecke Model

Abstract

This research established a link that exists between climate smart agricultural practices and poverty in North-West geopolitical zone of Nigeria. The study was motivated by the increasing consequence of climate change and its impact on poverty status among farmers in the study area. Farming households changing agricultural practices as a result of global observation of climatic and environmental changes. It was based on this that the study examines the impact of climate smart agricultural practices on poverty status among farmers in North West Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling techniques was used to select two hundred and ninety four (294) farming households in the study area who provide the relevant primary data information for the study through a set of pre-tested structured questionnaires. The objective was to decompose poverty status for high-users and low-users of climate smart agricultural techniques in the study area. Foster Greer and Thorberk model, Watt’s index, Sen, Shorrocks and Thon index were used to ascertain the objective. Poverty head count according to the FGT index for the total population is 35.89% for absolute poverty and 9.12% for relative poverty. This means that the average climate smart agriculture farmers had about 36% deprivation of basic human needs such as food, safe drinking water, health, shelter, education and information. On the other hand, for the absolute poverty of 9%. It means the average climate smart agricultural farmers had 9% deprivation to maintain the average standard of living. It connotes that the average climate smart agricultural farmers had 33% deprivation of food and 13% deprivation of average standard of living. Analysis of health poverty reveals that the absolute poverty is 42.38% and relative poverty 27.64%. It implies that the average climate smart agricultural farmers were deprived of health by 42% and by average standard of living by 28%. Further, analysis on education poverty reveals the absolute poverty and relative poverty value of 47.10% and 28.26%. This signifies that about 47% of the climate smart agricultural farmers were deprived of basic education and about 28% of climate smart agriculture farmers were deprived of average standard of living. The study concludes that poverty is evident in the study area. It therefore reccommends that Government, Non-Governmental Organizations and farmer associations should create a conducive knowledge exchang enviroment to encourage the low-users of climate smart agriculture to improve on their performance. Spouses especially should develop interest in climate smart agricultural farming. women empowerment programme can be embarked upoun by government and private individual. Policy on formal education should be enriched and developed in the curriculm to meet the climate smart agricultural challenges.