Thesis:

Effect of climate resilient agriculture programs on food security in Baidoa district, southwest state, Somalia

Increasing temperatures and altered precipitation patterns present major obstacles to global food and nutritional security, underscoring the necessity for agriculture that can withstand climate change. This research focused on the impact of climate-resilient agricultural programs on food security in the Baidoa District of Southwest State, Somalia. It specifically explored the contributions of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) programs to food security, the role of drought resistant crop cultivation, the effect of educating farmers about climate-smart practices, and the impact of providing drought-resistant seeds on food security in the region. With climate change adversely affecting farming—over 70% of production hindered by drought—the need for resilient agricultural practices becomes clear. The study used a descriptive research design, targeting households within Baidoa District, and sampled 423 households across 10 administrative villages through the process of stratified sampling. Collection of data was done through questionnaires and also Key Informant Interviews (KIIs). Analysis was then done using inferential and descriptive statistics. The results revealed a important link relating to climate-resilient agricultural initiatives and food security in Baidoa District. The results indicated that 89.5% of the changes in food security in Baidoa District are explained by the distribution of drought-resistant seeds to farmers. The study indicated a statistically significant relationship between all four-climate resilient agriculture program factors Climate Resilient Agricultural, cultivation of drought-resistant crops, farmers’ sensitization to climate-smart agriculture, and distribution of drought-resistant seeds to farmers) and food security in Baidoa District. This means that enhancing climate-resilient agriculture the cultivation of drought-resistant crops, increased farmers’ sensitization to climate smart agriculture, and the distribution of water scarcity-resilient seeds to farmers would significantly contribute to the increased food security in Baidoa District. If Baidoa District is to increase its food security, then it needs to enhance climate resilient agriculture programs that include initiatives in Climate Resilient Agricultural, cultivation of drought-resistant crops, farmers’ sensitization to climate-smart agriculture, and distribution of drought-resistant seeds to farmers to increase food production. The results indicate that effective distribution of drought resistant seeds to farmers in good time and quantities can highly contribute to food security support findings by Cho (2018) that there is a need to consider effective distribution of seedlings referred to as traditionally organic to subsistence farmers, which may contribute to effective and sustainable crop yielding. The availability of drought-resistant seeds to farmers in good time and quantities as a solution to food insecurity supports findings by Aryal (2021), who established that distribution of short-term yielding seeds has been applied to encourage food production among farmers in the area. These findings can inform how organizations enhance their programs to better achieve food security in drought-affected areas and assist in formulating agricultural policies that promote climate-resilient practices. The study advocates increased education on climate-smart agriculture for farmers, the cultivation of drought-resistant crops, and effective seed distribution to boost food security in the region. These insights are relevant for the development of agricultural policies and can steer future research in the areas of climate-resilient agriculture and food security.