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Numerous challenges currently experienced in the world today stemmed from global scientific collaborations that rely mainly on the ecosystem. Impact of climate variability threatens food security and production especially among the rural farming households. The study was conducted in North West Province of South Africa, to identify climate change adaptation techniques and to analyze prioritization of farmers on cultivation, both in the past and present. A total number of 497 rural household maize farmers were selected through a stratified sampling method from two district municipalities. Descriptive statistics were used to compute the mean, frequency and percentages, while Wilcoxon sign rank test established farmers’ prioritization on cultivation. The results show different adaptation strategies used. On the other hand, Wilcoxon sign rank test showed a statistically significant difference (P

Background: Climate change negatively impacted agricultural food production. Amidst the means of adjustment is the use of adaptation strategies to combat the detrimental effect. In order to promote zero hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and encourage sustainable agriculture, which were listed under the second goal of the Sustainable Development Goals, then, farmers must necessarily have recourse to controlling measures. Consequently, climate change adaptation strategy was identified as one of the key approaches to achieving the catalogue itemised under the second goal. Hence this study aimed to determine the synergy between climate change adaptation strategy and smallholder farmers’ food security status in South Africa, in addition to exploring factors that influenced the duo. A cross-sectional survey was conducted where 346 maize farmers in Ngaka Modiri Molema District of the North West Province, South Africa were interviewed. Data were analysed using STATA software, while two-stage regression model was used to establish the bi-causal link. On the one hand, the result highlighted variables that influenced climate change adaptation strategies: awareness of climate change, access to irrigation and frequency of agricultural extension agent visit. On the other, instrumental variables such as climate change adaptation strategies, household expenditure, and marital status were statistically significant and impact food security status in the study area. The paper established the nexus between climate change adaptation strategy and food security among smallholder maize farmers in the study area. Hence, the study recommended that in order to increase food security status, climate change adaptation strategy must be improved.

This study quantified the mountainscape transformation and identified its drivers over the last two decades in the Ado-Awaye Mountains, Nigeria, a protected mountain area in Oyo State, managed by the State government in conjunction with communal efforts. This potential mountain tourism destination is home to a suspended lake. A supervised classifier algorithm, a post-classification method, landscape metrics and indigenous knowledge (through interviews and questionnaires) were used to determine the patterns, dynamics, fragmentation and drivers of the mountainscape. The results revealed that the rock outcrop / bare ground / built-up areas and open secondary forests covered the greatest and smallest landmasses of the entire area in the study periods (2000 and 2019), both showing an increase. Mountainscape fragmentation also increased. Three categories of underlying drivers (cultural, natural and technological) contributed to mountainscape transformation and fragmentation in the Ado-Awaye Mountains. Forest restoration programmes and eco-friendly approaches are recommended to improve the destination's serenity and mitigate the environmental impact of the underlying drivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The food system and the growth of the agricultural sector are threatened by agricultural price fluctuations. This paper adopts Hayek’s theory of complex phenomena to explore the simple and complex components of such fluctuations. It also identifies various underlying factors that need to be addressed to minimize the fluctuations and meet the food needs of a growing population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]